Shandong Taishan win first Chinese Super League championship in 11 years, with three games remaining in the season
- Goals from Marouane Fellaini and Xu Xin saw Shandong Taishan beat Hebei FC 2-0
- With three games remaining in the Chinese Super League season, Shandong Taishan claim their first championship in 11 years
Shandong Taishan beat Hebei FC 2-0 in Guangzhou on Sunday to claim the Chinese Super League championship title with three matches still to play.
Goals from Marouane Fellaini and Xu Xin saw Shandong Taishan seal their first CSL title in 11 years and extend a record 16-game winning streak, the longest in the league’s history.
“Winning the championship is not only a fruit of the efforts from our players and coaching staff, but the whole club,” Hao Wei, the Shandong coach, said.
With the victory, Hao has won a CSL title with Shandong as a player, in 1999, and a manager.
Jin Jingdao’s cross from the right found Fellaini and the Belgian put the ball into an open goal in the 20th minute. Xu had the ball in the net 15 minutes later, but his goal was ruled out with De Erjiaduo in an offside position.
Hebei squandered their best chance to equalise as Yao Xuchen’s one-on-one was saved by keeper Wang Dalei, with Shandong doubling their lead through Xu’s volley just one minute later.
“Before the game, the club informed me they would renew my contract and I agreed. I have always had the dream to help the team win the championship ever since 2014 and I’ve finally made it,” an emotional Shandong goalkeeper Wang Dalei said in a post-match interview.
Elsewhere, Shanghai Port eased past Shenzhen FC 3-1 to move third in the table, 10 points behind Shandong. Also on Sunday, Changchun Yatai edged Guangzhou City 2-1, while Guangzhou FC notched a 1-0 victory over Beijing Guoan.
