Beijing Guo’an and Shanghai SIPG both dropped points over the weekend, allowing Guangzhou Evergrande to take over as the front runners thanks to an emphatic 5-0 win in the Canton derby. Former leaders Guo’an fell to a shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of Jiangsu Suning whilst a late Alan Kardec penalty ensured reigning champions Shanghai SIPG were held to a draw in Chongqing.
Jiangsu Suning 1-0 Beijing Guo’an
Eder’s first-half penalty was enough for Jiangsu to hand Beijing just their third defeat of the season.
Guo’an were made to rue a series of poor misses from Congolese striker Cedric Bakambu as the Nanjing side held on for their first win in six.
After a lengthy consultation with VAR, referee Chun Han Gu adjudged Guo’an skipper Yu Dabao to have fouled Alex Teixeira in the box, with the defender pleading it was shoulder-on-shoulder.
Despite the wait, Italian forward Eder showed no signs of nerves as he stepped forward and expertly dispatched the ball past Zou Dehai into the right corner.
All eyes will be on Bakambu, back from the recent African Cup of Nations, to get the goals after Jonathan Viera broke ribs on Matchday 18, but the striker didn’t look at all confident in front of goal as he spurned five marvellous opportunities.
The first came after 13 minutes, as the former Villareal man was unable to flick Piao Cheng’s inventive cross past Zhang Yan, instead heading the ball straight at the keeper.
If that was a bad miss, then the next was an absolute sitter.
Zhang Yuning did well to dispossess Abduhamit Abdugheni and slide it in front of Bakambu six yards out. With the goal gaping, the striker somehow pulled his effort wide of the near post.
Seconds later, marauding full-back Gang Wang delivered a dangerous ball straight to the feet of the striker who, five yards out, sliced a horrible effort wide of the far post.
Two missed in the second half compounded the forward’s misery as his side dropped points for just the third time this season.
Head coach Roger Schmidt was clearly aggravated by his side’s lack of cutting edge, telling the press:
“From the beginning, we are very clear that the Jiangsu team will definitely put all the energy on the counterattack. We have created several good attack opportunities in the first half.
“If we can seize these opportunities to take the lead, the trend of the game will be beneficial to us. But unfortunately, let the opponent seize the opportunity and break the deadlock.”
Guo’an drop down to second whilst Jiangsu are back up to sixth.
Watch highlights of the game below (VPN off):
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Guangzhou R&F 0-5 Guangzhou Evergrande
Elkeson’s first hat trick back in the colors of Evergrande helped his side to a five-star showing as they hammered neighbors R&F on their own turf.
The Brazilian’s first was undoubtedly the pick of his bunch, thanks to superb work from winger Wei Shihao.
The wide-man latched onto the ball after an R&F corner was cleared and ran three-quarters of the length of the field before squaring it for Elkeson to bundle home his first, and Evergrande’s second of the night.
Two late goals for the former SIPG man secured his hat-trick; his second coming from the spot after Dusko Tosic brought down the charging forward just inside the area.
The striker stepped forward and sent keeper Cheng Yuelei the wrong way in what turned out to be a rather long night for the long-serving stopper.
Elkeson got his third, and Evergrande’s fifth, three minutes from time when Gao Lin provided a deep delivery for him to prod home.
Earlier, Wei Shihao opened the scoring on 13 minutes with a superb, low curling effort from the edge of the box which left Cheng Yuelei with no chance.
The keeper had saved a Wei Shihao penalty just seconds prior after a Peng Wang foul, but the winger got his revenge as he fired in from range.
Paulinho got on the scoresheet just after the break after heading in Yang Liyu’s superb delivery.
The ball was loose in the box before Elkeson latched on to it and brilliantly rouletted past Lu Lin before laying it off to Yang Liyu. Liyu hit an inch-perfect first-time delivery with the outside of his boot which Paulinho nodded home for his eleventh of the season. The Derby Day antics sees Evergrande go top after Beijing Guo’an’s loss, whilst R&F slip to ninth.
Watch highlights of the game below (VPN off):
Chongqing Lifan 2-2 Shanghai SIPG
Marko Arnautovic’s first goal for Shanggang wasn’t enough for the reigning champions to pick up three points, as Fernandinho’s quest for all goal of the season nominees to be his continues.
On the brink of half-time, Fernandinho picked the ball up deep with seemingly nothing on, before brilliantly dancing his way past five Shanggang players and firing past Yan Junling into the far corner.
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Shanggang levelled just after the break, as Yuan Mincheng was unable to sort his feet out and diverted Oscar’s low delivery past Yerjet Yerzat and into his own net.
The visitors then looked to be in control when substitute Arnautovic marked his arrival on the CSL stage with a powerful header.
Oscar’s deep, hanging cross was the perfect delivery for the oncoming forward to meet and he headed past Yerzat to put his new side 2-1 up.
Fernandinho, keen to emulate his earlier goal, then ran at a tormented SIPG defence once more, and his pace and trickery was too much for He Guan who brought down the Brazilian in the area.
Compatriot Alan Kardec stepped up and coolly sent Yan Junling the wrong way to make it two-apiece.
Cai Juikang was dismissed in the dying moments for a second bookable offence as SIPG missed the chance to go above Beijing Guo’an. Chongqing stay fifth.
Watch highlights of the game below (VPN off):
Elsewhere...
Salomon Rondon scored a late equaliser for Dalian Yifang as they rescued a 3-3 draw away at Tianjin Teda after Qin Sheng was shown a straight red card for the visitors.
Shanghai Shenhua recorded a much needed 4-1 victory away at bottom club Beijing Renhe as Kim Shin-wook’s start to life as a Shenhua player goes from strength to strength with his third goal in as many games.
Hebei CFFC drew 2-2 with Tianjin Tianhai whilst Henan Jianye and Wuhan Zall played out a forgettable goalless draw in Zhengzhou. Marouane Fellaini and Graziano Pelle helped Shandong Luneng to a 3-0 over Shenzhen.
Image via Sky Sports
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[Cover image via @guangzhouevergrande_fc on Instagram]
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