On the evening of August 4 at 19:35, Round 21 of the Chinese Super League will feature a match where Beijing Guoan hosts Shanghai Shenhua at home.
Beijing Guoan currently has a record of 11 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses in the league, accumulating 37 points to rank 4th in the standings. The team is 11 points behind Chengdu Rongcheng, making it almost impossible to close such a gap with 9 rounds left. Therefore, if the team wants to compete for a spot in international competitions, they need to focus all their efforts on the upcoming FA Cup matches, one of which coincidentally is against Shenhua, making this game a sort of rehearsal.
In their 10 home games this season, Beijing Guoan has achieved 7 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses, which is already a commendable performance. However, other strong teams have been almost unbeatable at home, leaving Guoan’s home tally ranked only 5th. In these 10 games, the team scored 26 goals, showcasing strong attacking power, while conceding 12 goals, a rather average defensive performance.
In the previous four league matches, Guoan performed poorly, winning just one. They suffered a humiliating 1-5 defeat to Shanghai Port, lost narrowly 1-2 to Wuhan Three Towns, and were surprisingly defeated 0-1 by newly promoted Shenzhen Xinpengcheng, which dealt a significant blow to the team’s confidence and effectively ended any hopes of finishing in the top three.
Shanghai Shenhua has been outstanding this season, with 17 wins and 4 draws in the first 21 rounds of the Chinese Super League, remaining undefeated. Currently, they are 5 points behind Shanghai Port, who have played one more game. For Shenhua, winning this match is crucial as the league enters its championship-contending phase, and they must keep up with their rivals and maintain the points difference within one game.
In their 11 away games this season, Shanghai Shenhua won 9 and drew 2, scoring 21 goals and conceding only 3, demonstrating dominance on both offense and defense. They hope to continue this form in the Jing-Hu derby. It’s worth noting that the FA Cup is also a traditional title contender for Shanghai Shenhua, so they won’t take it lightly, which might slightly affect their performance in both competitions.
In recent games, Shenhua defeated Cangzhou Lions 5-0 and Wuhan Three Towns 2-0, following a 6-0 win over Shandong Taishan. The team is now in an unstoppable momentum. Facing Beijing Guoan, who held them to a draw earlier this season, Shenhua’s players aim to avoid a repeat. The team is currently facing an injury crisis, with Manafa and Teixeira sidelined due to injuries.
In the last 10 Jing-Hu derbies, Guoan had 6 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses. However, this season has seen significant changes, with Shenhua displaying unstoppable form while Beijing Guoan struggles. Although Guoan managed a 1-1 draw in their first meeting this season, given the current situation, it seems unlikely that they can halt Shenhua’s championship push.
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