Qingdao West Coast welcome Shandong Taishan at Guzhenkou University City Sports Center, Qingdao on Saturday, Aug 22 at 2:00 PM in a Super League fixture that's tighter on paper than the positions suggest — just 2 points split them in the table.

Qingdao West Coast come into this fixture out of form (1W 2L recently). Shandong Taishan, meanwhile, arrive in mixed form (2W 1D 2L) — actually the better-performing side in recent weeks. Qingdao West Coast head into this on the back of a defeat, while Shandong Taishan arrive off a win — momentum clearly with the visitors.

Despite playing at home, Qingdao West Coast face a side that has dominated this fixture historically. Shandong Taishan have won 4 of 6 encounters, with 1 draws. Their last encounter ended in Qingdao West Coast won 2–3. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 3.2 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: This looks an evenly matched contest. Home advantage gives Qingdao West Coast a slight edge, but Shandong Taishan are capable of causing problems. A draw would be a fair result.