Under the floodlights at Workers Stadium, Shanghai Shenhua stunned hosts Beijing Guoan 3-1 on Saturday night in front of a season-high 62,291 fans. The victory propels Shenhua to the top of the Chinese Super League with 41 points from 17 matches, three points clear of Guoan.
Shenhua struck early: in the 7th minute, Gao Tianyi’s whipped cross found Luis Asue, whose header beat Hou Sen to break the deadlock. They doubled their lead in the 21st minute when Wu Xi sprinted past Uros Spajic before slotting home from the edge of the box, sending the visiting section into raptures.
Beijing responded in style five minutes later as Guga curled a free kick over the wall into the bottom corner, narrowing the gap and swinging the momentum back to the host side. A disallowed goal by Dawhan in the 29th minute kept the score at 2-1 heading into the break.
The second half delivered end-to-end drama, but Shenhua sealed the result deep in stoppage time. After an offside review wiped out Yu Hanchao’s strike, Wu Xi flicked a pinpoint pass to Yu, who finished coolly in the 97th minute, completing the 3-1 win and sparking jubilant celebrations on the road.
CSL Round-Up
- Dalian Yingbo 4-0 Shandong Taishan
- Shenzhen Peng City 4-0 Qingdao Hainiu
- Henan 1-1 Meizhou Hakka
With over 62,000 supporters packing the stadium, this result underscores the CSL’s soaring popularity and commercial growth. As the title race heats up, clubs across the league are tapping into digital streaming and sponsorship deals, signaling a new era for China’s top flight.
Reference(s):
Shanghai Shenhua beat Beijing Guoan 3-1 in battle for top spot in CSL
cgtn.com
