BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Guangzhou Evergrande paved the way to retain their Chinese Super League (CSL) crown by beating Shanghai Greenland 3-0 while the runners-up Shanghai SIPG lost to Guizhou Hengfeng 2-1 in the 23rd round of the matches on Saturday.
Brazilian striker Luiz Muriqui scored a double in the first half, putting the defending champions in the lead, and Ricardo Goulart sealed the game 3-0 as he slammed the ball into the left corner before the goalkeeper could even touch it.
With the away win, Guangzhou Evergrande have accumulated 53 points, namely eight ahead of the runners-up Shanghai SIPG who slowed down their chasing speed, losing to Guizhou Hengfeng 2-1 in the afternoon.
The CSL debutants Guizhou Hengfeng had their five-game winning streak after the home victory, and stayed out of the relegation threat by ranking eighth out of the 16-team table with eight rounds of matches remaining.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Jiangsu Suning stunned Yanbian 4-0, Liaoning Shenyang Carsing tied Tianjin Elion 1-1, and Hebei China Fortune beat Beijing Guoan 2-0.
