Beijing Guoan extend unbeaten run to go top of CSL

Agency :

Beijing Guoan extended its unbeaten run and took the lead in the Chinese Super League (CSL) with a hard-fought 2-1 home win over Yunnan Yukun on Monday night.

Despite falling behind in the first half to a close-range finish from Yunnan forward Ye Chugui, Guoan mounted a strong second-half response. Fabio Abreu equalized in the 55th minute following an assist from Zhang Yuning, who later won a penalty that veteran midfielder Zhang Xizhe converted to seal the win.

“I gave it my all,” Zhang Yuning said after the match. “Winning this game is our reward. Even though I didn’t score, I hope that my goal will come soon.”

The match marked Guoan’s 400th appearance at the Workers’ Stadium. With the victory, Guoan moves level on 38 points with Shanghai Shenhua but sits atop the table with a superior goal difference.

Looking ahead, Guoan faces Shenhua next. “We’re a bit fatigued, and we started a little slowly today,” Zhang added. “But this win has boosted our confidence. We believe we can take on any tough opponent at home.”

Elsewhere in the CSL on Monday, Shandong Taishan squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Henan FC, while Shanghai Port snatched a late winner to beat Shenzhen New Pengcheng 2-1. Zhejiang FC was the only side to draw a blank in Monday’s action, falling 1-0 to Dalian Yingbo.