Guangzhou defend Super League crown

Guangzhou Evergrande have defended their Chinese Super League title on the penultimate weekend of a season in which targets continue to be out of reach for big-spending domestic clubs. A 1-0 victory over Liaoning Whowin clinched a second successive crown for Marcello Lippi's men, who are also in the final of the Chinese Cup, which will be played over two legs next month. The Italian said after the game he was "very happy" to add the honour to his five Serie A titles. He remarked: "This is very special because it is the first time I have won the league overseas and it is good to do it in China, which is a great country." While a league and cup double should be enough to placate his wealthy paymasters, Lippi himself would still be reeling from Evergrande's heart-breaking exit from the AFC Champions League. A late deflected goal saw big-spending Guangzhou crash out at the quarter-finals to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad earlier this month, a result that sparked minor grumblings directed at Lippi. FIFA