Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2139861/csl-round-shandongs-perfect-start-ended-united-guizhou-evergrande-make
Sport/ Football

CSL round-up: Shandong’s perfect start ended by ‘united’ Guizhou; Evergrande make it three in a row

Goals from Trawally and Suarez earn a win for Guizhou that ensures Shandong lose top spot

Shandong Luneng were stunned by Guizhou Zhicheng. Photos: Xinhua

Shandong Luneng’s winning start to the Chinese Super League campaign ground to a halt on Sunday as Gregorio Manzano’s Guizhou Zhicheng handed the former champions a 2-0 defeat.

Goals from Bubacarr Trawally and Mario Suarez earned Guizhou a win that ensured Shandong would not join Shanghai SIPG at the top of the standings after four rounds while moving Manzano’s team off the foot of the table.
Beijing Guoan thrashed local rivals Renhe at the Workers’ Stadium.
Beijing Guoan thrashed local rivals Renhe at the Workers’ Stadium.

“Before this game I told my players it was going to be difficult,” Manzano said.

“Shandong were leading the league with Shanghai SIPG after the first three rounds while we had not won a game and were at the bottom of the standings.

“But we were able to win this game because our defence was united and our offence was able to take their opportunities.”

Despite the defeat, Shandong remain in second place, three points behind an SIPG side that maintained their perfect record with a 2-1 win over Chongqing Lifan thanks to goals from Wu Lei and Yu Hai.

Cosmin Olaroiu made a winning start to his tenure as Jiangsu Suning head coach after replacing Fabio Capello earlier in the week.

The Romanian, who worked in the Middle East with significant success before moving to China, saw his side take the lead against Tianjin Teda when Richmond Boakye converted from the penalty spot 15 minutes from time. Alex Teixeira doubled his side’s advantage two minutes later.

Former Suwon Bluewings striker Johnathan pulled a goal back for Tianjin with nine minutes remaining but it could not prevent defeat.

Champions Guangzhou Evergrande kept their challenge for an eighth successive title on track with a third win in a row as Fabio Cannavaro saw off his former employers Tianjin Quanjian.

Gao Lin scored the only goal of the game in the 55th minute, with Evergrande down to 10 men after Alan Carvalho was sent off for blatantly elbowing Liu Yiming in the back of the head five minutes earlier.
Champions Guangzhou Evergrande scored a third win in a row in a spicy affair against Tianjin Quanjian.
Champions Guangzhou Evergrande scored a third win in a row in a spicy affair against Tianjin Quanjian.

Beijing Guoan also claimed a third straight victory with a 4-0 thrashing of Beijing Renhe in front of a crowd of more than 53,000 at the Workers’ Stadium as the capital witnessed its first-ever CSL derby.

Roger Schmidt’s side made short work of the newly promoted side with goals from Jonathan Soriano, Yu Ying, Jonathan Veira and Yu Dabao ensuring the German’s team moved up to fifth in the standings.

Yannick Carrasco notched up his first goal since moving to China from La Liga side Atletico Madrid with a spectacular strike as Dalian Yifang claimed their first point of the campaign with a 1-1 draw against Henan Jianye in new coach Bernd Schuster’s first match.

Shanghai Shenhua secured a 4-2 win over Hebei China Fortune with Obafemi Martins claiming a hat-trick.

Guangzhou R&F held on to third place in the standings as goals from Eran Zahavi and Renatinho allowed Dragan Stojkovic’s side to take all three points from Changchun Yatai.