The Chinese Super League title race took another wild turn as Shandong Taishan stunned league leaders Shanghai Port with a 3–1 victory in a packed stadium. Despite falling behind in the eighth minute through Li Xinxiao’s early opener, Shandong reeled in the hosts and seized control before the break.
Georgian forward Valeri Qazaishvili struck a low drive in the 41st minute to level the score, setting the stage for a dominant second half. Midfielder Liu Yang powered Shandong ahead in the 62nd minute, and Qazaishvili wrapped up a brace in the 77th to secure the win.
Meanwhile, Chengdu Rongcheng missed the chance to leapfrog Shanghai Port when they settled for a 2–2 draw away at Qingdao West Coast. Davidson’s two clinical counterattacks put Qingdao ahead, but Felipe Sousa hauled Chengdu back into contention with two late headers.
With just two matches remaining, Shanghai Port sit on 60 points at the summit, with Chengdu close behind on 59. Shandong climb to fifth, buoyed by their latest form and the tactical spark from Qazaishvili. As the race heads toward its climax, every goal could define the 2024 champion.
For young global fans tracking data-driven drama, this weekend reaffirmed that in football, anything can happen when the margins are slim.
Reference(s):
Shandong Taishan shock Shanghai Port as CSL title race heats up
cgtn.com
