Beijing Guoan were held to a goalless draw by Zhejiang Pro at home on Friday night, a result that hampers their pursuit of a top-three finish in the league.
They remain in fourth place with 42 points after 24 games, nine points behind third-placed Chengdu Rongcheng, who have played one fewer game.
Despite creating more scoring opportunities than their opponents, Beijing Guoan failed to convert their chances into goals.
In the 11th minute, Fabio Abreu set up Cao Ziming for a one-on-one opportunity, but Zhejiang’s goalkeeper Zhao Bo was quick to block the shot.
At the 57th minute, Guoan were awarded a free kick just outside Zhejiang’s penalty area. Guga’s precise pass found Zhang Chengdong and Michael Ngadeu, causing confusion in Zhejiang’s defense. The ball eventually struck the post, but the referee called a foul on Zhang Chengdong.
In the 80th minute, Zhao Bo ventured out of his box but misjudged his clearance, giving Zhang Yuning an open chance. However, defender Sun Zhengao made a timely return to block Zhang’s attempt. Moments later, Zhang’s header from a corner kick hit the post, adding to Guoan’s frustrations.
Tensions rose in the 88th minute when Zhang was shown a red card for elbowing Sun in the face. Despite being down to ten men, Beijing Guoan continued to press forward. In injury time, Yang Liyu went down in the box during an aerial challenge, but the referee waved play on.
The draw leaves Beijing Guoan’s ambitions for a top-three finish in jeopardy, as they now trail third-placed Chengdu Rongcheng by nine points. With only a handful of matches remaining, Guoan will need to capitalize on every opportunity to close the gap.
In other matches on Friday:
- Henan 0-2 Cangzhou Mighty Lions
- Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 1-0 Wuhan Three Towns
- Nantong Zhiyun 0-3 Qingdao West Coast
Reference(s):
Beijing Guoan slowed in top-three pursuit after 0-0 draw with Zhejiang
cgtn.com
