Continuously blocking the title contenders, Han Peng leads Shandong Taishan to a 9-match unbeaten streak before shifting focus to the National Games.

Reported by Chen Yong In August, a dominant 6-0 home win over Beijing Guoan; in September, a 3-3 away draw with Shanghai Shenhua; and in October, a 3-1 home victory against Shanghai Port. Since Han Peng’s appointment, Shandong Taishan has demonstrated strong form. Except for an early 1-2 defeat to Chengdu Rongcheng, Han Peng’s squad has stayed unbeaten against championship contenders, greatly influencing the title battle.

Just 9 minutes into the match, Shanghai Port scored on a counterattack, with Li Xinxiong’s goal raising concerns about Taishan’s defense.

In the match against Shanghai Port, besides starting five foreign players, Han Peng took a bit of a risk by fielding Li Xiaoheng as right wing-back. Previously, Li Xiaoheng was more involved in attacking roles, usually playing as a winger or forward, with limited defensive impact. The goal came precisely from Taishan’s right flank, where despite Li Xiaoheng’s desperate tracking back, Liu Ruofan’s cross was too precise and Li Xinxiong capitalized well on the chance.

Additionally, during pre-match adaptation to the field, Lopez suffered an injury, forcing Taishan to adjust the starting lineup last minute. Fortunately, the 20-year-old center-back Peng Xiao, who replaced Lopez, delivered an outstanding performance.

After conceding first, Taishan was unfazed. Their front foreign trio showed great form, especially Zecca. In the 41st minute, Zecca assisted Kazayishvili to equalize; then in the 62nd minute of the second half, Zecca set up Liu Yang to take the lead.

The match-winning goal came from Kazayishvili with a spectacular strike: in the 77th minute, Kresan delivered a free kick, Kazayishvili chest-controlled the ball on the right side of the penalty area, then turned and volleyed it into the net. His brace sealed the 3-1 victory. After this match, his goal tally reached 24, giving him an edge in the top scorer race, while one of his rivals, Leonardo, failed to score in this game.

In this match, Taishan held slightly more possession than Shanghai Port, with 20 shots to 15, 6 on target to 5, and 5 corners to 4. Overall, it was a closely contested game with both teams showing strong fighting spirit. Comparatively, Taishan displayed a calmer mindset and more efficient counterattacks.

“We gave our all and fought with full effort. For me, this was a huge help. Seeing so many fans supporting us in the afternoon, even turning on their phone lights, was an unforgettable experience,” said the outstanding young Taishan center-back Peng Xiao after the match.

It must be said that this match, along with Shandong Taishan’s away game against Shanghai Shenhua, represented the highest level of the Chinese Super League. The intensity and pace were very high. If the CSL had more games with such rhythm and intensity, it would provide young players with better chances to develop faster.

Before the 17th round of the CSL, Han Peng was appointed interim head coach of Shandong Taishan. Due to the urgent takeover, Han Peng had limited time to gel with the team. His first match ended in a 0-2 away defeat to Dalian Yifang; the second was a 3-0 win over Meizhou Hakka; followed by a 1-2 away loss to Chengdu Rongcheng, where Wang Dalei received a red card.

After that, Han Peng led the team on a 9-match unbeaten run: 2-1 vs Changchun Yatai, 3-1 away vs Shenzhen New Pengcheng, 3-2 vs Qingdao West Coast, 6-0 vs Beijing Guoan, 3-3 away vs Shanghai Shenhua, 2-2 away vs Qingdao Hainiu, 1-1 vs Yunnan Yukun, 2-2 away vs Zhejiang Club, and in this round, a 3-1 win over Shanghai Port.

The 9-match unbeaten streak and three consecutive stops against title challengers are linked to improved team cohesion under Han Peng. As a traditional powerhouse, Taishan tends to rally more strongly in tough matches, whereas they sometimes show slight relaxation against mid- and lower-tier teams.

After this match, Han Peng will lead Shandong’s U20 team to participate in the men’s U20 final stage of the National Games football competition, missing the next home game against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger. He will return to lead the team in the final round away at Wuhan Three Towns.

The victory over Beijing Guoan marked a turning point in Guoan’s title challenge this season, after which Guoan fell behind in the championship group. The 3-3 away draw with Shanghai Shenhua also put Shenhua in difficulty. Will this match against Shanghai Port again influence the ultimate outcome of the championship?