The title race for China's first division soccer league is going into the final round next week as both contenders failed to post a victory in the penultimate round of matches on Sunday.

League leaders Liaoning Fushun rallied for a 1-1 away tie with Sichuan Quanxing to maintain a one-point slender advantage over Shangdong Luneng, who squandered a golden opportunity to take the initiative after being forced to a 1-1 draw by strugglers Shengyang Haishi in freezing sub-zero temperatures.

Promoted side Liaoning, who travelled to Sichuan seeking a victory which would have awarded them the league trophy, now stands atop with 46 points from 25 matches, with Shandong one point adrift on 45 and Sichuan third on 42.

Home side Sichuan saw their outside chances of landing the league title for the first time in club history 15 minutes into the game as winger Yao Xia converted a penalty kick. But their hopes soon evaporated when center forward Zhang Yuning nodded Liaoning back into the picture 15 minutes later with a raking header.

Liaoning now has to beat traditional powerhouse Beijing Guo'an in the last-round encounter to secure the championship while Shandong, in a bid for a league and Cup double this season, was handed a relatively easy piece of work to do next week, taking on already-relegated bottom club Wuhan Heart K.

In other actions on Sunday, Chongqing Longxin routed Shenzhen Ping'an 5-2 to hold on to the fourth place on the table; defending champions Dalian Wanda lost their last home match this season, beaten by Beijing Guo'an 1-0; Qingdao Hainiu boosted their chances of staying above by thrashing Tianjin Taida 4-1 on home soil; Shanghai Shenhua scored an away 2-1 win over Guangzhou Songri and Wuhan Heart K fought out a 1-1 tie with Jilin Aodong. (Xinhua)