CSL: Rafa Benitez’s Dalian Pro throw away 3-0 lead to lose to Guangzhou R&F on dramatic final day

The Chinese Super League 2020 season took another step towards its conclusion on Tuesday with the deciding games for the teams between fifth and 14th on the table.

There was drama in abundance across those second legs, despite all of the teams having already secured safety and missed out on the AFC Champions League places for next season.

Nowhere was that more evident than in the battle for fifth place between Chongqing Lifan and Shandong Luneng, the first leg of which had ended with a shock 4-3 win for Chongqing.

Shandong drew first blood in the second leg, taking the lead through Belgian menace Marouane Fellaini who steered home from close range halfway through the first half. Wang Tong doubled the lead 10 minutes later, heading home a Liu Binbin centre to put Shandong ahead on aggregate.

That advantage was rubbed out before half-time by Chongqing’s Fernandinho, followed by a goalless second half and two periods of extra time.

It went to penalties and Luneng goalkeeper Han Rongze made himself the hero with stops from Liu Le and Yuan Mincheng to take the shoot-out 4-3 and secure fifth place.

Wuhan and Shijiazhuang battle for Chinese Super League survival

Shanghai Shenhua overcame an extensive injury list, which saw them only able to name five substitutes from a possible nine, to extend their 4-1 first-leg lead over Hebei China Fortune and finish seventh.

The game was decided with an injury-time Peng Xinli penalty to finish 1-0 on the day.

It remains to be seen if Shenhua’s players will recover in time for their AFC Champions League season in Doha, Qatar, which begins next week.

Henan Jianye overcame Tianjin Teda in the match to decide ninth place, though it took extra time to find a winner.

The first leg had finished 0-0 and the second leg went the same way, finishing scoreless after 90 minutes. Extra time was a goalfest in comparison.

Henrique Dourado volleyed home for Henan after 101 minutes before the lead was doubled from the spot by Brazilian compatriot Ivo, following a handball against Song Yue.

Tianjin striker Song made up for it at the other end with a 114th-minute header to set up a grandstand finish, but Henan held on.

The biggest drama was in the game to decide 11th place between Guangzhou R&F and Dalian Pro.

Rafa Benitez’s team took a 3-0 win from the first leg, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side rallied in the rematch.

A Li Shuai own goal made it 1-0 at half-time before a spectacular late flurry of goals decided the tie for Dalian. Dusko Tosic made it edgy with 20 minutes to go before a Chen Zhizhao aggregate leveller with five minutes left.

The substitute striker then grabbed a winner in the fourth minute of extra time to seal a dramatic 4-0 comeback win, one which has been compared to the “Miracle of Istanbul” when Benitez’s Liverpool side came back from 3-0 down to AC Milan at half-time of the 2005 Uefa Champions League final to win on penalties.

Jordi Cruyff’s Shenzhen side secured a 13th place finish by beating CSL newcomers Qingdao Huanghai 2-1.

Goals from John Mary and Gao Lin put Shenzhen 5-0 up on aggregate before Bari Mamatil netted a late consolation. Teammate Gao Xiang had earlier been denied by the woodwork from the spot.

“It’s a good thing to finish the season with a victory. I want to thank the league organisers for the wonderful facilities, transportation and training pitches,” Cruyff said.

Shenzhen were relegated last season but reinstated after Tianjian Tianhai folded.

This season’s relegation will be decided later on Wednesday when Wuhan Zall and Shijiazhuang Ever Bright meet for their second leg after a 0-0 stalemate in the opener.

The loser will be relegated, while the winner takes on second place from China League One in a play-off.