Wuhan retain Chinese Super League lead despite Changchun loss – Reuters

Dec 1 (Reuters) – Wuhan Three Towns retained top spot in the Chinese Super League despite slipping to a 3-2 loss against Changchun Yatai as fellow title chasers Shandong Taishan were beaten by the same score.

Wuhan lead the defending champions, who lost to Cangzhou Mighty Lions, on goal difference with six games remaining.

Deng Hanwen’s own goal in added time gifted Changchun the three points after Ademilson and Xie Pengfei hauled Wuhan level.

Brazilian duo Erik and Serginho had given Changchun a two-goal lead after 50 minutes and the win leaves Chen Yang’s side in 11th place.

Shandong were unable to capitalise on Wuhan’s slip-up, with Jose Kante scoring two first-half goals for Cangzhou as Cryzan’s injury time penalty was not enough to spark a late revival for the reigning champions.

Despite the defeats the leading pair still hold a big advantage over the chasing pack with third-placed Zhejiang FC 13 points behind after a 2-0 win over Beijing Guoan.

Three points separate Zhejiang from seventh-placed Beijing as they battle for the final berth in next year’s Asian Champions League.

Chengdu Rongcheng moved up to fourth with a 2-0 win over eight-time champions Guangzhou FC and Shanghai Port dropped to sixth with a 3-1 loss against Henan Longmen, their third defeat in a row.

Shanghai Shenhua arrested their poor run of form to pick up their first win in five games with a 1-0 victory over Meizhou Hakka but their hopes of a top-three finish remain remote.

Wuhan Yangtze moved out of the drop zone with a 2-1 win over Shenzhen, while relegated Hebei FC lost 4-1 to Dalian Pro and Guangzhou City slipped to a 1-0 loss against Tianjin Tigers.

Reporting by Michael Church in Doha, Editing by Ken Ferris

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