Shanghai Shenhua surged to the top of the Chinese Super League (CSL) standings after a commanding 3-1 victory over Meizhou Hakka in the 11th round on Tuesday. The win places Shenhua level on 26 points with second-placed Chengdu Rongcheng but ahead on goal difference.
The match came alive in the 31st minute when Saulo Mineiro nearly opened the scoring, his thunderous strike rattling the crossbar. The deadlock was finally broken on the hour mark amid a frantic goalmouth scramble, with Liu Chengyu reacting quickest to tap in from close range.
Just five minutes later, Shenhua doubled their lead. Wilson Manafa delivered a pinpoint cross to Mineiro, who made no mistake with a powerful header past the Meizhou goalkeeper.
Meizhou Hakka pulled one back in the 85th minute through Yue Tze Nam’s well-placed low drive, setting up a tense finish. However, Shenhua sealed the victory in stoppage time when Mineiro turned provider, sprinting clear on a counterattack before setting up Yang Haoyu to slot into an empty net.
“We just lost a game and wanted to regain our confidence with a victory,” said Liu Chengyu, who opened the scoring for Shenhua. “We were challenged by the weather conditions and the field during the match, but we were lucky enough to win. I played at my normal level and hope to score more goals for my team.”
The win propels Shanghai Shenhua to the summit of the CSL, while Meizhou Hakka remain 10th after another disappointing result.
