Beijing Guoan came from behind to edge Shanghai Port 2-1 on Thursday, extending their unbeaten run to nine matches and climbing to third place in the Chinese Super League (CSL).
The match at Shanghai’s Pudong Football Stadium saw an early setback for Beijing Guoan when captain Wang Gang was forced off due to injury in the 22nd minute, with Wu Shaocong coming on as his replacement.
Shanghai Port struck first in the 40th minute. Mateus Vital delivered a precise corner kick that found Liu Ruofan, who headed the ball into the net, giving the home side the advantage.
However, Beijing Guoan responded swiftly. Just two minutes later, Dawhan’s long pass reached Lin Liangming, whose close-range shot was parried by Shanghai goalkeeper Yan Junling. Fabio Abreu was quick to react, slotting in the rebound to level the score.
Yan Junling appeared to have injured himself during the play and was replaced by Chen Wei after halftime.
Beijing Guoan seized the lead in the 55th minute. Lin Liangming broke into the box and unleashed a powerful shot into the far top corner, making it 2-1 for the visitors.
The visitors had opportunities to extend their lead. In the 60th minute, Zhang Yuning’s long pass found Abreu, who evaded both the defender and the goalkeeper, but his shot went wide. Seven minutes later, a miscue by Chen Wei almost cost Shanghai a third goal when his attempted clearance found Beijing midfielder Zhang Yuan, but Chen redeemed himself by blocking the ensuing shot.
Shanghai Port pressed for an equalizer in stoppage time. Zhang Fanlin’s header looked destined for the net, but Beijing goalkeeper Hou Sen made a crucial save to preserve the victory.
With this hard-fought win, Beijing Guoan remain undefeated after nine matches and leapfrog the two-time defending champions Shanghai Port for third place in the CSL standings.
