Dalian Yingbo overturns 14-point gap with 5 games left to win unlikely Chinese Super League title

Dalian Yingbo won the Chinese Super League title in stunning fashion, winning its final five games of the season to overturn a 14-point deficitByThe Associated PressNovember 8, 2026, 5:25 AMDALIAN, China -- Dalian Yingbo won the Chinese Super League title in stunning fashion Sunday, winning its final five games of the season to overturn a 14-point deficit.Dalian began the day three points behind longtime leader Chengdu Rongcheng and defeated Tianjin Jinmen Tigers 3-1 in front of 60,000 fans to take its first championship.Chengdu, coached by former Australia international John Aloisi, lost 3-2 at Shandong Taishan to end the season in disappointment. The Sichuan club, top of the standings since the opening day, needed just a point from the final four games to take its first title but lost all four.While Chengdu had a superior goal difference, the Chinese Super League prioritizes head-to-head records between teams and Dalian had won both meetings between them.The dramatic finish contrasted with the start of the season, when nine of the 16 top-tier teams began their campaigns with points deductions, though Dalian and Chengdu both escaped sanctions.In January, the Chinese Football Association, the Ministry of Public Security and the General Administration of Sport said the widespread punishments were part of a “special campaign to crack down on match-fixing, gambling and corruption in the football industry.”Defending champion Shanghai Port received a five-point deduction, while runner-up Shanghai Shenhua began the season on -10.Popular ReadsBeijing Guoan was hit with a five-point penalty and finished third, three points behind the top two.Wuhan Three Towns and Qingdao Hainiu were relegated to League One.___See AP’s full soccer coverage hereSponsored Content by Taboola