CSL: Beijing Guoan keep pressure on Shanghai SIPG before group B decider on Friday
- Beijing Guoan maintain pressure on group B leaders Shanghai SIPG with 5-1 win over Qingdao Huanghai before they meet on Friday
- Shijiazhuang meet Chongqing and Wuhan take on Hebei in the next round of games as last two top-four spots up for grabs
The coronavirus-delayed Chinese Super League’s group B took shape on Tuesday night after the 12th round of matches in the Suzhou bubble, but there is still all to play for.
Shanghai SIPG kept hold of their grip on top spot – and facing the fourth-placed team from the Dalian group in the title-deciding second round – with a 1-0 win over Shijiazhuang Ever Bright and another three points.
They needed them with Beijing Guoan, who beat Qingdao Huanghai 5-1, breathing down their necks. Shanghai SIPG’s lead is four points with two games left, but the top two meet on Friday.
The leaders thought they had a first half penalty only for the foul to be ruled out for offside against Wang Shenchao. Hulk converted a second half penalty to decide the game, having earlier rattled the crossbar from distance.
A draw will secure top spot for SIPG, but Guoan go into Friday’s game full of confidence after exorcising some demons against the Qingdao side.
In their previous meeting the Beijingers had a 3-0 lead, only to draw 3-3, but there was to be no such fightback the second time round.
Guoan were 3-0 up at the break – Yu Yang, Jonathan Viera and a first goal for Fernando – and added two more after the restart through Viera’s second, a free-kick, and Cedric Bakambu.
Qingdao, who went down to 10 men after Yin Yaji’s second booking on 53 minutes, grabbed a consolation through Denis Popovic’s spot kick at the death.
While the top two have booked their passage to the title-deciding second round, the other two spots in the top four are up for grabs.
The advantage lies with Chongqing Lifan and Hebei China Fortune, whose 1-0 wins took them to third and fourth respectively.
Chongqing beat Wuhan Zall thanks to an early Marcelo Cirino wonderstrike, the Brazilian reacting to a loose ball to fire home from well outside the area. Wuhan had striker Eddy Gnahore sent off with 14 minutes to go.
Hebei’s late 1-0 win over Tianjin Teda, coming through a Marcao header from a corner in second-half stoppage time, took them into fourth place at the expense of newly promoted Shijiazhuang, who drop to fifth. Wuhan are sixth, but only two points separate them and third-placed Chongqing with two games to go.
Shijiazhuang meet Chongqing and Wuhan take on Hebei in the next round of games on Friday.
The top four from each group stand a chance to make the AFC Champions League and battle it out for the title, while the bottom four play to avoid relegation to China League One.
