Beijing Guoan made their way to Shanghai and left with three points, beating Shanghai Shenhua 3-0 in the eighteenth round of the Super League at Shanghai Stadium. The visitors scored first before the break and never looked back, while the hosts struggled to find any rhythm after going behind. It was not the kind of night for the home side, who had won two of their last three league matches before this one.
G. Ramos opened the scoring in the forty-second minute, putting Beijing ahead and giving them confidence for the second half. The hosts tried to respond but their chances never materialised, while Beijing created far more dangerous opportunities. By then the pattern was clear — Shenhua could not recover from that early setback.
Cao Yongjing doubled the lead in the seventy-third minute, and Zhang Xizhe added a third with six minutes remaining. Beijing made several changes in the final quarter of the match, bringing on fresh legs without changing the outcome. The visitors had already secured their place in the standings with this result.
Statistics
- Shanghai Shenhua: 51 per cent possession, 87 attacks, 8 shots on target, 2 big chances created
- Beijing Guoan: 49 per cent possession, 76 attacks, 8 shots on target, 7 big chances created
Beijing were far more clinical in front of goal, converting their opportunities while Shenhua could only manage two big chances despite having the ball more often. The hosts also took more shots from outside the penalty area but failed to test the goalkeeper properly. To be fair, Beijing's defensive structure was difficult to break down throughout the ninety minutes.
The result moves Beijing further clear in second place with thirty-seven points, while Shanghai remain ninth on twenty-eight points. The gap between them grows with each round, and the visitors now have breathing room at the top of the table. Shanghai will need to regroup quickly, with only a few matches left before the season concludes.