Shandong Luneng's Hao Junmin tackled Zhang Linpeng of Guangzhou Evergrande in the game.
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Shandong Luneng's Hao Junmin tackled Zhang Linpeng of Guangzhou Evergrande in the game. |
AFC Champions League 2015 finalists Guangzhou Evergrande were denied their fifth successive Chinese Super League (CSL) crown on Sunday when Wang Yongpo struck deep into second-half stoppage to earn Shandong Luneng a 2-2 draw and ensure the race for the 2015 CSL title goes into the final day of the season. Ricardo Goulart, the 2015 ACL leading scorer with eight goals, put Guangzhou on the road to the victory that would secure the CSL title with one round remaining, when the Brazilian opened the scoring with just six minutes at the Tianhe Stadium played.
Shandong, who were eliminated at the Group Stage of this year’s AFC Champions League, equalised on the hour mark through Argentina international Walter Montillo but the defending champions restored their advantage courtesy of a 76th minute strike from substitute Elkeson, who replaced Gao Lin shortly after the visitors had levelled.
Guangzhou were reduced to ten men with eight minutes remaining when Zhang Lipeng picked up his second yellow card of the match but despite their numerical disadvantage the home side looked to have done enough to secure the 2015 CSL title and the first part of potentially doing the domestic and continental double for the second time in three seasons following their ACL and CSL success in 2013.
However, four minutes into time added on at the end of the second-half Wang silenced Guangzhou Evergrande’s celebrations as the 28-year-old China international drew Shandong level for the second and final time in the match.
The draw, Guangzhou’s tenth of the season, took their points tally to 64, two more than second-placed Shanghai SIPG, who closed the gap on the leaders with a 2-0 away win at Changchun Yatai, while Shandong went above Beijing Guoan on goal difference into third place.
Beijing Guoan will be Guangzhou Evergrande’s final opponents of the 2015 CSL campaign and a win in the capital on Saturday - or any result coupled with a defeat or draw for Shanghai SIPG at home to 1990 Asian Club Championship winners Liaoning Whowin - will see the Southern China Tigers seal their fifth league title in five years.
Following the conclusion of the CSL, Guangzhou set their sights on securing a second AFC Champions League crown when the 2013 winners travel to Dubai to face Al Ahli in the first leg of the 2015 final on November 7 before hosting the UAE’s first finalists since 2005 in the decisive second leg two weeks later.