In an exciting start to the 2024-25 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite, Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua both secured impressive victories at home on Tuesday.
Shandong Taishan dominated the match against Australia's Central Coast Mariners in Jinan, Shandong Province, emerging victorious with a 3-1 scoreline. Bi Jinhao set the pace early, scoring in the eighth minute by heading a cross from Li Yuanyi into the net, giving Taishan a 1-0 lead.
The Mariners fought back and equalized before halftime, thanks to a contentious penalty decision by the referee. After reviewing the play with the video assistant referee (VAR), the penalty was awarded to Central Coast Mariners. Mikael Doka confidently converted the spot kick, bringing the score to 1-1.
However, Shandong Taishan wasn't done yet. In the 74th minute, Liao Lisheng initiated a swift counterattack, delivering a precise pass to Valeri Qazaishvili, who slotted the ball home to regain the lead at 2-1. Not stopping there, Qazaishvili added a second goal 14 minutes later, securing a 3-1 victory for Shandong Taishan and marking a strong start in the tournament.
Reference(s):
CSL sides Taishan, Shenhua open AFC Champions League Elite with wins
cgtn.com
