Round 16 of the ChineseCSL saw two strong teams go head-to-head, with Shanghai and Shandong both looking to secure their spot at the top of the table. The match was played at the Shanghai Stadium on Saturday night.
The first half started off with both teams trying to gain the upper hand. However, it was Shanghai who took the lead early on when midfielder Zhang Guimei scored from close range. Shandong responded quickly, however, as forward Liu Xiaoyu equalized just before halftime.
In the second half, both teams continued to dominate possession but failed to score further goals. It was only in the 79th minute that Shandong finally broke through, with striker Sun Xinyan scoring his third goal of the season to put his team ahead for good.
Despite the loss, Shandong will still have their sights set on securing a place in the playoffs, while Shanghai will need to focus on maintaining their form if they want to retain their title. The two sides will be back in action next weekend, so we'll see how things play out in the remaining matches of the round.