Shanghai Shenhua pulled off a stunning 3-1 victory over Beijing Guoan on Saturday night, seizing the top spot in the Chinese Super League (CSL) standings. The win at the Workers Stadium in front of a season-high 62,291 spectators saw Shenhua leapfrog Guoan to lead the league with 41 points after 17 matches, three points clear of their rivals.
Beijing Guoan entered the match undefeated, boasting 11 wins and five draws. However, Shenhua wasted no time in asserting their dominance. In the 7th minute, Gao Tianyi delivered a precise pass from the left, finding Luis Asue, who headed the ball past Guoan goalkeeper Hou Sen.
Shenhua doubled their lead in the 21st minute. A long pass found Wu Xi near Beijing’s penalty area, and he outpaced defender Uros Spajic to slot the ball into the bottom corner, putting the visitors firmly in control.
Beijing Guoan fought back, reducing the deficit in the 26th minute when Guga’s curling free kick soared over the wall and into the net, leaving goalkeeper Xue Qinghao rooted to the spot.
The home side thought they had equalized three minutes later when Dawhan found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Zhang Yuning.
Shenhua nearly sealed the game in the 83rd minute, but Yu Hanchao’s strike was ruled out for offside. Undeterred, Yu made amends in stoppage time. In the 97th minute, Wu Xi set up Yu, who calmly finished a one-on-one opportunity to secure the 3-1 victory.
In other CSL action on Saturday, Dalian Yingbo defeated Shandong Taishan 4-0, Shenzhen Peng City cruised past Qingdao Hainiu 4-0, and Henan played to a 1-1 draw with Meizhou Hakka.
