At 7:35 pm on August 9th, Cangzhou Lions will host Shandong Taishan at Cangzhou Stadium in the 22nd round of the Chinese Super League.
The pressure on the two teams in the current Chinese Super League is drastically different. Cangzhou Lions have 18 points after 22 rounds, placing them second to last, tied with Qingdao West Coast, who are third from the bottom. It’s safe to say that the fight for survival is at its most crucial and delicate stage, and the pressure is immense. Meanwhile, Shandong Taishan currently sits in 5th place, trailing Chengdu Rongcheng, who are third, by a whopping 14 points. Their hopes of claiming a top-three finish are fading. The team’s recent two-game losing streak has been attributed by Shandong media to a “strategic shift away from challenging for third place.”
Both teams have been struggling in terms of win rates lately. Cangzhou Lions have gone 17 games without a victory across all competitions (5 draws and 12 losses). However, Cangzhou has shown signs of improvement (relative to their own form) since their all-out effort for survival campaign. In the last five rounds, they have drawn three, a significant improvement compared to the five straight losses they suffered in May and June. Shandong Taishan has recently endured a two-game losing streak, falling 0-1 to Henan and Shanghai SIPG respectively. Shandong media believes this is due to the team prioritizing the cup competitions after realizing their chances of securing a top-three finish and a place in the AFC Champions League are slim. This shift in focus is seen as the primary reason for their recent struggles, rather than a pure decline in form.
In terms of head-to-head records, the two teams have clashed seven times in the Chinese Super League over the past three years, with Shandong Taishan holding a significant advantage with five wins, one draw, and one loss. Even in Cangzhou’s home stadium, Shandong has managed to win twice and draw once in their three visits.
In terms of personnel, the biggest variable for Cangzhou Lions is the presence of star foreign player Oscar. He broke his 12-game goal drought last round but had to be substituted due to injury, later confirmed as a concussion. It remains unclear whether he will be fit for this match. On the Shandong side, team reporters have confirmed that the team will make extensive rotations for this game as they are set to face Thai club BG Pathum United in the AFC Champions League play-offs next week. Shandong, who are under less pressure in the league, have now shifted their strategic focus to the Asian stage.
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