Pakistan beat China 3:0 in the Asian Games on Thursday, catching the hosts off guard in a result that reshuffled the group standings. The match took place at the scheduled time of 07:00 on 3 October 2026, and the visitors left with all three points in hand.
Before kick-off China sat top of the table with seven points from three games, having won every fixture. Pakistan came in second on six points after two victories and one defeat. The scoreline means the hosts drop to second place, while Pakistan move into the lead with nine points.
China had looked imperious in their previous outings. They beat Thailand 3:0, South Korea 3:2, the Philippines 3:0 and Chinese Taipei 3:2. Their only setback came against South Korea on 10 September, when they lost 1:3. To be fair, a run of four straight wins makes a single defeat sting more than it would otherwise.
Pakistan's recent form tells a different story. They beat India 3:0 on 1 October, lost 0:3 to Japan on 29 September, then bounced back with wins over Uzbekistan 3:0 and Kazakhstan 3:1. By then they had shown they could compete against the region's stronger sides, even if the result against Japan had been a setback.
And here's the thing — a three-goal margin away from home against the group leaders is not something that happens often. The visitors kept their composure and made China pay for any hesitation. The old head settled them down, as it were, turning a potential collapse into a statement.
The standings now have Pakistan one point clear of China, who have played the same number of games. The table goes out of the window in these games, but this result puts the visitors in a strong position heading into the final round.
