At the halfway mark of the Chinese Super League season, Beijing Guoan continued their impressive run with a 4-0 victory over Meizhou Hakka on the road. Fabio Abreu stole the show, ending his five-match scoring drought with a clinical hat-trick and preserving Guoan's 23-match unbeaten streak that dates back to last season.
The opener arrived in the 21st minute when Guga sliced through the defense on the right flank and delivered a precise cut-back for Abreu to tap in from close range. Just before halftime, Abreu struck again, firing a low shot after Uros Spajic's clever header flick-on doubled the Capital Club's lead.
Beijing's energy carried into the second half as substitute Fang Hao made an instant impact. Within ten minutes of coming on, he finished a smart pass from Cao Yongjing to make it 3-0, sprinting toward the distant traveling supporters to share the moment. Transfer rumors suggest Fang could join Changchun Yatai, where former Guoan coach Ricardo Soares now leads the side.
Abreu completed his treble in the 69th minute, slotting home a perfectly weighted through ball from Zhang Yuan. The Angolan striker now tops the CSL scoring chart with 11 goals and spurred Beijing to their 400th league victory – a fitting milestone for a team eyeing the full-season prize.
Elsewhere, Shanghai Shenhua kept pace with a 3-0 win over Tianjin Jinmen Tiger. Shinichi Chan opened the scoring just before halftime, capitalizing on a defensive mix-up, then Jiang Shenglong doubled the lead with a sublime free-kick redirection. In stoppage time, Andre Luis added a third, sealing a comprehensive win and keeping Shenhua hot on Beijing's heels.
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Abreu's hat-trick helps Beijing stay on top at midpoint of CSL season
cgtn.com
