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Another week has come and gone in the 2021 Chinese Super League season, so here’s the round-up of the action in the Guangzhou-based Group A.
Shenzhen 0-0 Qingdao
The second week of action in the Chinese top tier featured a number of deadlocked matches, with neither team able to break down the other, and the tilt between Shenzhen and Qingdao was exactly that.
The match between these two sides ultimately ended in a 0-0 draw, seeing them both hold identical records over their first two matches, with four points each and two goals scored to one goal conceded.
Shenzhen looked the more likely of the teams to break the deadlock, with an astonishing 25 total shots (five on target) and 67% of the possession, with a couple of near-misses that they should have capitalised on. However, it wasn’t to be and both teams left with a point apiece.
Guangzhou City 3-1 Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic
Guangzhou City followed up their surprising 2-2 draw with city rivals Guangzhou FC with a commanding victory over Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic, who have suffered back-to-back defeats to open their season.
All four goals in the match came in the second half, with Chen Zhizhao opening the scoring just one minute after the half-time break. Chongqing pulled things level just over ten minutes later through Yin Congyao, but a late surge from Guangzhou City put things to bed.
Guilherme Costa Marques netted in the 72nd minute and earned his second three minutes into stoppage time, ensuring Chongqing, who had the majority of chances in the match, had no way back. This win keeps Guangzhou City sitting near the top of Group A while Chongqing have to face the disappointment of sitting in last place.
Shandong Taishan 1-0 Guangzhou
The biggest matchup in the second round of Group A fixtures saw Shandong Taishan take on Guangzhou FC, with the latter suffering a surprise defeat to compound on the team’s disappointing start to the 2021 league season.
Shandong, four-time winners of the top prize in Chinese football, stole victory out of Guangzhou’s hands in the 93rd minute of the match thanks to a Marouane Fellaini header leaving Liu Dianzuo firmly planted in place and unable to do anything other than watch the ball sail into his far corner.
Guangzhou have now taken just a point from their opening two matches and questions will be asked of the team, who have become known as a powerhouse in Chinese football with eight league titles between 2011 and 2019.
Cangzhou Mighty Lions 0-0 Henan Songshan Longmen
Group A’s second set of fixtures ended in the same way it began, with an ordinary 0-0 draw between a team that are lucky to be in the league this season and one that is expected to finish around mid-table when all is said and done.
The match produced very little in terms of chances in front of goal, with just one solitary shot on target between the two sides – Henan having just two total shots in the match. Little can be said of this matchup, which brings Group A’s fixtures to a fairly disappointing end.
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