Soccer-Wuhan Three Towns handed maiden Chinese Super League title

CHINA: Wuhan Three Towns have been crowned Chinese Super League champions for the first time after Tianjin Tigers forfeited the teams' final round meeting to hand Pedro Morilla's side a 3-0 win and the title by default.

Wuhan finished ahead of last year's winners Shandong Taishan after they also had their game against Beijing Guoan cancelled with Hao Wei's team given a 3-0 victory as China continues to struggle with a nationwide COVID-19 surge. The win keeps alive Wuhan's hopes of a league-and-cup double and they are due to take on Shandong in the quarter-finals of the Chinese FA Cup on Jan. 4.

The squads of both Beijing and Tianjin were severely hit by COVID-19 outbreaks, meaning Wuhan and Shandong finished level on 78 points after 34 games in a season heavily impacted by the pandemic, with Wuhan winning the title on goal difference. The victory means Wuhan have won league titles in each of the last three seasons, clinching China League Two in 2020 and winning China League One last year.

Wuhan and Shandong qualify for the next edition of the Asian Champions League along with Zhejiang FC, who defeated relegated Wuhan Yangtze 4-0 to secure third place in the standings. First half goals from Donovan Ewolo, Yao Junsheng and Nyasha Mushekwi put Zhejiang in control and Matheus Nascimento struck six minutes from time to complete the win.

Zhejiang finished ahead of Shanghai Port on goal difference after the 2018 champions finished their campaign with a 4-0 win over Changchun Yatai. Chengdu Rongcheng took fifth spot following their 3-0 win over Dalian Pro, with England-born Taiwan international Tim Chow scoring twice, and Henan Longmen finished sixth having handed Hebei FC a 4-0 defeat.

Elsewhere, Cangzhou Mighty Lions defeated Guangzhou City 4-1, relegated Guangzhou FC lost 1-0 to Meizhou Hakka and Shanghai Shenhua won 2-0 against Shenzhen FC.