SUZHOU, China - Jiangsu Suning was held to a 1-1 draw by Chongqing Dangdai in their first-leg playoff encounter of the Chinese Super League here on Monday.

Brazilian forward Alex Teixeira opened the scoring for Jiangsu with a powerful volley close to the box in the 7th minute after collecting a pass from his teammate Luo Jing.

Both sides drove the game at a fast pace but could not gain an advantage. In the 73rd minute, Jiang Zhe made a corner kick and Brazilian forward Alan Kardec outjumped the defenders, helping Chongqing level the game with a towering header.

"We did a good job. Though Jiangsu is a tough team, we still had a good performance," said Kardec after the game.

The two teams will face each other again in the second leg on Saturday.