On August 2, Shandong Taishan swept Qingdao by a score of 5-0 in the Qilu Derby, the focal point of the 11th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) in Guangzhou, which not only ended Qingdao's six consecutive defeats, but also realized a double kill against their opponents. Meanwhile, Shenzhen lost their match against Guangzhou City, which allowed Taishan to once again take the lead in the standings. With 24 points from 11 games so far, Taishan is the first team in the history of the Chinese Super League to lock up a place in the championship group.
Two Qilu derbies, Taishan blasts 7 goals, double kills Qingdao
Last season, Shandong Taishan and Qingdao, who were promoted to the Chinese Super League for the first time, were unable to play the Qilu Derby due to the restructuring of the competition system. This season, the two teams are in the same division in Guangzhou, and the matchup will finally be held in the fourth round. In the first round of the Qilu derby, Taishan won 2-0, giving Qingdao a head start. In this match, Taishan was not soft on the struggling Qingdao team, scoring 3 goals in the first half. The halftime break was delayed by half an hour due to thunderstorms, but the Taishan team's offensive momentum was not blocked, and eventually cut down Qingdao again with a score of 5-0, realizing the season double. In the two games of the Qilu derby, Taishan scored 7 goals without conceding a single goal, and the 5-0 score has become the game with the most goals scored and the highest goal difference for Taishan so far this season.
Qingdao lost 6 consecutive games after the resumption of the tournament and conceded nearly 4 goals per game on average
Qingdao had a stormy interval, with foreigners Popovic and Vukovic returning to the team for more than two months, and Ulvestad opting to return before the game was due to resume. Local player Ba Li suffered three suspensions from the club for assaulting a masseuse and being replaced in the warm-up match. So far in the resumption of the tournament, Bali and Vukovic have only gradually found their form. However, the players' morale has been affected by various reasons, and they have not only suffered 5 consecutive defeats in the first 5 matches after the resumption of the tournament, but also conceded a whopping 18 goals. Together with tonight's match, Qingdao has conceded 23 goals in 6 matches, with an average of 3.83 goals per game, or nearly 4 goals per game.
Shenzhen loses, Taishan regains sole lead in standings
In the earlier match in this division, Shenzhen, who are on the same score as Taishan, lost 0-1 to Guangzhou City and stayed at 21 points. Taishan reached 24 points after defeating Qingdao, and once again led the Guangzhou Region standings alone with a 3-point advantage. After losing to Guangzhou in the 9th round, Taishan lost the first place to Guangzhou City, but now they have regained the first place after only 2 rounds. In the next round of matches, Taishan will play Shenzhen directly, and if they can beat their opponents, they will further extend their lead.
T&T becomes first team to confirm spot in title contenders' group
Taishan not only regained its sole lead in the standings, its record stands at 7 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss in 11 matches, reaching 24 points. With 3 rounds left in the division, Taishan is already 10 points ahead of the fifth place Henan Songshan Longmen. Even if Taishan lost in the last 3 rounds, Henan Songshan Longmen could not overtake them. As a result, Taishan entered the Super League Championship Division 3 rounds ahead of schedule, becoming the first team in the history of the Super League to lock up a place in the Championship Division.
