90th Minute Winners, Goals, A Mad Title Race - This is the Most Entertaining League You’re Not Watching

90th Minute Winners, Goals, A Mad Title Race - This is the Most Entertaining League You’re Not Watching

The 2025 Chinese Super League season is entering its closing stages, and it is proving to be one of the most entertaining title races around. With just four more games to play for most sides, there are still three teams at the top, separated by just three points, with a fourth waiting in the wings; meanwhile, towards the bottom, the league sees four sides battling until the very end with just two able to survive.

The season has offered absolutely everything, from goals galore and 90th minute winners, to teams never saying never until the final whistle.

This article is here to give you a catch up and after reading, you will have all you need to know to start paying attention in what is sure to be a run-in which is going to continue to be unpredictable and action-packed.

Goals, Goals, Goals

At the time of writing on 27 September, 657 goals have been scored – all coming in just 203 matches – meaning that 3.27 goals have been scored on average, each game. In quick reference to the most watched leagues around the world:

• CSL – 1,115 goals @ 3.27 per game

• Bundesliga (2024/25) – 959 goals @ 3.13 per game

• MLS (2025) – 1,365 goals @ 2.98 per game

• Premier League (2024/25) – 1,115 goals @ 2.93 per game

• La Liga (2024/25) – 995 goals @ 2.62 per game

• Serie A (2024/25) – 973 goals @ 2.56 per game

So, if it is goals you are looking for, and nowadays goals is the currency in modern football, then the Chinese Super League is exactly what you need! Shandong Taishan (2), Beijing Guoan, Chengdu Rongcheng (2), Qingdao Hainiu, Henan FC, and Shanghai Shenhua have all scored five goals or more in a game this season, while there have also been 28 instances with teams finding four goals in a single game – with two of these ending in 4-4 draws.

Every team within the current title race have all scored 50+ goals, averaging over 2 goals per game alone, very rarely leaving a fixture without a goal. For example, leaders Shanghai Port have scored in every league game this season, failing to score twice or more in just 5/26 matches. Chengdu too, have found the net in all of their matches, while Shanghai Shenhua have failed to net in just three.

Late Drama

Of course, a natural eye-catcher is any drama occurring in the division, and the Chinese Super League certainly does not lack in this aspect. As you can see in the table below, almost 25% of all goals scored are found in the closing stages of the match, making all games a must-watch until the final whistle.

Many games have been completely turned on its head as a result too, with a perfect example coming from an extraordinary 2-2 draw between the aforementioned Qingdao when they travelled to Changchun Yatai. The hosts had their goalkeeper Zhifeng Wang dismissed just eight minutes into this relegation six-pointer. By the 72nd minute, the visitors had two-goal lead – game is over, right? Wrong, two goals in injury time saw Changchun rescue a crucial point to stay level with their opponents with just a small handful of games left to play.

125 goals have been scored in minutes 81-90 alone too, displaying the true unpredictability of the league. If we played around with the table even further, we could discover the true sides who love and what teams dread injury time. The table below provided by Transfermarkt, shows that Zhejiang Professional and Shanghai Shenhua have rescued many results late on, with each side having scored 10 or more goals in the dying moments.

This is much the opposite for the likes of Changchun Yatai, who rise up from the bottom after their first two injury time goals today, leaving Henan FC rooted to the bottom without a late goal – they have conceded six during this time too, showing their fans should not watch the remainder for their own safety.

A Preview of the Title Race

Two Shanghai sides, Chengdu, and Beijing are all split by just six points with four games left to play. Beijing are six points hind leaders Shanghai Port, and, with a far inferior goal differential to their peers, look increasingly unlikely to achieve first place.

Shanghai Port – 57 points, +25 (1st)

• Qingdao Hainiu – 14th Place (A) – 17 October @ 11am BST
• Shangdong Taishan – 5th Place (A) – 26 October @ 7:30am GMT
• Zhejiang Professional – 7th Place (H) – 31 October @ 10am GMT
• Dalian Yingbo – 8th Place (A) – 22 November @ 7:30am GMT

Top Scorer: Leonardo – 19 goals. Shanghai’s Brazilian talisman has been smashing in the goals this season, including two late goals at home to Wuhan Three Towns to overcome a 2-1 deficit to strengthen their grip on first place. Maximum points and the title is theirs.

Chengdu Rongcheng FC – 55 points, +31 (2nd)

• Meizhou Hakka – 16th Place (H) – 17 October @ 12:35pm BST
• Qingdao West Coast – 10th Place (A) – 26 October @ 10:30am GMT
• Henan FC – 11th Place (H) – 31 October @ 11:35am GMT
• Shenzhen Peng City – 13th Place (A) – 22 November @ 7:30 GMT

Top Scorer: Felipe – 12 goals. Another Brazilian, the 33-year-old found some crucial goals this season, including a brace in a 4-1 win over Shanghai. He is in a drought at the moment, however, so will need to be back in form in three weeks time for the run-in.

Shanghai Shenhua – 54 points, +28 (3rd)

• Qingdao West Coast – 10th Place (A) – 17 October @ 1pm BST
• Dalian Yingbo – 8th Place (H) – 26 October @ 11:35am GMT
• Shenzhen Peng City – 13th Place (H) – 31 October @ 12pm GMT
• Tianjim Jinmen Tiger – 6th Place (A) – 22 November @ 7:30am GMT

Top Scorer: Saulo Mineiro – 8 goals. Wow, it really is a Brazilian takeover in east Asia. The 28-year-old will be crucial in their run-in but hasn’t been able to play much this campaign through injury.

Beijing Guoan – 51 points, +18 (4th)

• Shenzhen Peng City – 13th Place (A) – 17 October @ 1pm BST
• Qingdao Hainiu – 14th Place (H) – 26 October @ 11:35am GMT
• Changchun Yatai – 15th Place (A) – 1 November @ 7:30am GMT
• Meizhou Hakka – 16th Place (H) – 22 November @ 7:30am GMT

Top Scorer: Fabio Abreu – 21 goals. Second top scorer in the league, 32-year-old Angolan forward Abreu has played a crucial role in Beijing’s push to reclaim the crown. Four goals in his last two games puts Beijing in a great position to push their rivals as much as possible. They have the easiest run-in of all contenders, so there is no reason why they cannot pick up maximum points.

Who is Staring Down the Barrel of Relegation?

Shenzhen, Qingdao H, Changchun, and Meizhou all occupy the bottom four places of the league, with just three points separating them and just two places to ensure a place in the top tier for another season. Here is all you need to know:

Shenzhen Peng City – 20 points, -24 (13th)

• Qingdao West Coast – 10th Place (H) – 28 September @ 12:35pm BST
• Beijing Guoan – 4th Place (H) – 17 October @ 1pm BST
• Wuhan Three Towns – 12th Place (A) – 25 October @ 12:35pm BST
• Shanghai Shenhua – 3rd Place (A) – 31 October @ 12pm GMT
• Chengdu Rongcheng – 2nd Place (H) – 22 November @ 7:30 GMT

Top Scorer: Wesley – 8 goals. Aaaand we are back with on the Brazilian takeover, Wesley has been incredible since his arrival from Turkey, with his eight goals and assist from as many games proving his reliability to his side. Shenzhen do play three of the top four sides, so those other two games are the key results and what could keep them up.

Qingdao Hainiu – 18 points, -14 (14th)

• Meizhou Hakka – 16th Place (A) – 4 October @ 12pm BST
• Shanghai Port – 1st Place (H) – 17 October @ 11am BST
• Beijing Guoan – 4th Place (A) – 26 October @ 11:35am GMT
• Wuhan Three Towns – 12th Place (H) – 2 November @ 7:30am GMT
• Zhejiang Professional – 7th Place (A) – 22 November @ 7:30 GMT

Top Scorer: Wellington Silva – 8 goals. With a game against bottom of the league next week, it almost feels like a do-or-die match for both teams. Qingdao do have a favourable goal difference over their relegation candidates, but the points will be the most important column on 22 November.

Changchun Yatai – 18 points, -19 (15th)

• Henan FC – 11th Place (A) – 19 October @ 12:35am BST
• Tianjim Jinmen Tiger – 6th Place (A) – 25 October @ 8:30am BST
• Beijing Guoan – 4th Place (H) – 1 November @ 7:30am GMT
• Qingdao West Coast – 10th Place (A) – 22 November @ 7:30am GMT

Top Scorer: Long Tan – 9 goals. A crucial goal in this weekends 2-2 draw with Qingdao Hainiu, Long Tan’s contributions in their remaining games will be vital. One game less than their rivals, Changchun are in the worst position of all. Their visits to Henan and Qingdao WC will be so very important in deciding their fate.

Meizhou Hakka – 17 points, -27 (16th)

• Qingdao Hainiu – 14th Place (H) – 4 October @ 12pm BST
• Chengdu Rongcheng – 2nd Place (A) – 17 October @ 12:35pm BST
• Yunnan Yukun – 9th Place (H) – 24 October @ 12:35pm BST
• Dalian Yingbo – 8th Place (H) – 1 November @ 11:35am GMT
• Beijing Guoan – 4th Place (A) – 22 November @ 7:30am GMT

Top Scorer: Jerome Mbekeli – 5 goals. Meizhou have a complete mixture of quality opponents in their run-in, and with all three home matches being the more favourable fixtures, the crowd could play an instrumental role in their survival bid.

Final Remarks

With half of the league being involved in a title race or relegation battle so deep into the season, there are still so many fixtures with still so much on the line. The run-in just seems to be getting more and more exciting, and there is no reason to not tune in if you are able to.

Viewing figures for the division have been in a decline ever since the world takeover around a decade ago, which saw the likes of Didier Drogba, Hulk and Oscar all head to Asia. Now, this title race, relegation battle, and utter madness has sparked a new interest for football fans to give the Chinese Super League another chance, and this run-in will not disappoint.