The Chinese Super League title race showed a stark contrast: Shanghai Port clinched a last-minute victory to take the lead, while Chengdu Rongcheng conceded a late equalizer and lost their top spot.

At 19:35 on September 26, the two teams tied for first place in the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Port and Chengdu Rongcheng, kicked off their matches at the same time. Shanghai Port played at home against Wuhan Three Towns, and top-ranked Chengdu Rongcheng traveled to challenge Zhejiang.

The game between Shanghai Port and Wuhan Three Towns was incredibly thrilling. Shanghai Port took the lead at the 37th minute through Li Shuai. Then, Zhong Jinbao and Shao Er scored consecutively to put Wuhan Three Towns ahead. Just when fans thought Shanghai Port would drop points, Leonardo scored twice at the 85th and 97th minutes, securing the winning goals. Shanghai Port went from 0 points to 1, then all the way to 3 points!

The Zhejiang vs. Chengdu Rongcheng match was equally dramatic. Chengdu Rongcheng led by three goals but ended up conceding a draw, losing their top position in the league. Romulo scored twice at the 29th and 37th minutes, and Zhou Dingyang added a goal at the 39th minute to make it 3-0. However, Zhejiang fought back with three goals: Owusu scored before halftime, and Carlello netted two stoppage-time goals in both halves at the 55th and 100th minutes, helping Zhejiang equalize 3-3 at home against Chengdu Rongcheng.

With Shanghai Port's last-gasp win and Chengdu Rongcheng's conceded draw, the championship battle instantly turned into a tale of two extremes. Shanghai Port climbed to the top, gaining the upper hand in the title race, while Chengdu Rongcheng lost both their leading position and control of the championship challenge.