Preview of the Chinese Super League: Shanghai Shenhua Must Fight for Three Points in the Title Race, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers in Good Form but Without Much to Play For

At 20:00 on September 21st, round 26 of the Chinese Super League (CSL) will see Shanghai Shenhua host Tianjin Jinmen Tigers. Shanghai Shenhua desperately needs a win to keep their title hopes alive, while Tianjin Jinmen Tigers are currently playing without much pressure.

In the CSL standings, Shanghai Shenhua ranks second with 64 points from 20 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss, while Tianjin Jinmen Tigers sit sixth with 36 points from 10 wins, 6 draws, and 9 losses.

Currently, Shanghai Shenhua trails the league leaders, Shanghai Port, by only 2 points, making the title race increasingly intense. Recently, Shanghai Shenhua has been in excellent form, achieving five consecutive victories across the CSL, FA Cup, and AFC Champions League Elite Cup, excelling on all fronts. In the league, they turned around a 1-3 deficit against Shanghai Port and won 4-3 away at Zhejiang, keeping them within striking distance of Shanghai Port.

The top scorer for Shanghai Shenhua is Malele with 17 goals and 2 assists, while the player who has contributed most to goals is Andre Luis (15 goals, 8 assists). Other key players include Teixeira (8 goals, 5 assists), Wu Xi (5 goals, 3 assists), and Xie Pengfei (4 goals, 7 assists). Notably, Shanghai Shenhua has conceded only 15 goals in the CSL this season, securing the best defense in the league.

However, during this crucial period of multi-front battles, Shanghai Shenhua is plagued by injuries. Zhu Chenjie has missed matches against Zhejiang and Pohang due to a persistent fever and thigh muscle strain. Yang Zexiang took painkillers before the match against Zhejiang, and post-game MRI scans showed a partial tear and strain in his right rectus femoris and lateral head muscles.

Tianjin Jinmen Tigers have recently achieved three consecutive wins in the league, demonstrating good form, but were knocked out of the FA Cup with a 0-3 defeat to Shanghai Port, leaving them without much to play for in the remainder of the season. However, their recent three league wins came against teams not ranked in the top five, and all were achieved at home.

The top scorer for Tianjin Jinmen Tigers is Kompagnon with 19 goals and 1 assist, also the player who has contributed most to goals. Ademi scored 8 goals and provided 8 assists, performing outstandingly. Among local players, Wang Qiuming (4 goals, 1 assist) and Barto (2 goals, 6 assists) have also shown good form.

Captain Wang Qiuming of Tianjin Jinmen Tigers will miss this game due to accumulated yellow cards, while tomorrow’s match will likely be missed due to an injury to his left adductor muscle.

In past encounters, Shanghai Shenhua has the upper hand with 14 wins, 13 draws, and 10 losses; when playing at home, Shanghai Shenhua has a record of 9 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses against Tianjin Jinmen Tigers.

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