On December 1, Sports Weekly's reporter Ma Dexing delivered the news that Zhejiang beat Buriram United in this round of matches, putting the Chinese Super League one point ahead of the Thai Super League on technical points.
Zhejiang came back to beat Buriram United 3-2 in their home AFC Champions League clash. However, the situation on the pitch after the match was worrying. The AFC's punishment is not yet clear, but it has a direct impact on whether Zhejiang can continue to play in the AFC Champions League next season.
Going deeper into the match itself, the win was significant for the Chinese Super League. The Chinese Super League is in direct competition with the Thai Super League in the AFC Member Association Technical Points Rankings, with the Chinese Super League currently ranked seventh in Asia, while Thailand is eighth; in the East Asian region, the Chinese Super League is third and the Thai Super League fourth. The Technical Points Ranking is directly related to the allocation of seats to the member associations of the Asian Elite League and the AFC Champions League.
Prior to the group stage, the Chinese Super League teams had a technical score of 6.233 points, the same as Thailand. In the fifth round of group matches, the Chinese Super League teams won 2 and lost 1, rising to 8.233 technical points, while only Bangkok United won among the three Thai teams, with the Thai Super League's technical points at 7.233. Zhejiang's victory allowed the Chinese Super League to overtake the Thai Super League in technical points and avoid the risk of being overtaken.
If Zhejiang loses, the Chinese Super League's technical points will be countered by the Thai Super League by one point; in case of a draw, both sides will keep their current points. Therefore, a win for Zhejiang is crucial for the Chinese Super League, not only to keep their hopes of making it out of the competition, but also to gain a favorable position in the distribution of future AFC Champions League seats.
