BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Shenhua survived a late fightback to beat Zhejiang FC 3-2 on Sunday thanks to Wu Xi's brace, while league leader Chengdu Rongcheng was held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Qingdao Hainiu in the 17th round of the Chinese Super League.
Fresh off a commanding home win over Dalian Yingbo, Shenhua took the lead in the 19th minute when Wu latched onto a long ball and fired home after a goalmouth scramble.
The hosts doubled their advantage five minutes into the second half. Wu's long pass found Luis Asue making a run into the box, but the Equatorial Guinea international failed to make contact with the ball, which bounced past the goalkeeper and into the net. The goal was ultimately credited to Wu.
Zhejiang responded in the 65th minute as Wang Yudong created space with a clever turn before drilling a low shot into the net.
The visitors restored parity 15 minutes later when Marko Tolic's attempted cross from inside the penalty area caught everyone off guard and sailed directly into the far corner.
Shenhua, however, snatched all three points in the 86th minute after being awarded a penalty, with Rafael Ratao calmly converting from the spot.
Chengdu Rongcheng, meanwhile, was frustrated in a 1-1 draw away to Qingdao Hainiu despite taking the lead.
After a cagey first half, Felipe Silva squared the ball for Yang Mingyang to slot home in the 55th minute. Qingdao refused to fold and found an equalizer five minutes from time. Jin Yonghao's long-range effort crashed off the crossbar, and Yang Cong followed up to score, with the goal confirmed after a VAR review.
Romulo thought he had snatched a stoppage-time winner for Chengdu in the 97th minute, but the goal was ruled out after VAR determined a teammate had handled the ball in the buildup.
Elsewhere, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger eased past Shenzhen Peng City 3-0, Dalian Yingbo edged Wuhan Three Towns 3-2, Beijing Guoan defeated Shandong Taishan 2-0, Qingdao West Coast beat Shanghai Port 2-1, Liaoning Tieren overcame Chongqing Tonglianglong 3-1, and Yunnan Yukun claimed a 2-1 victory over Henan FC. ■
