At 8 PM on July 26th, Shenzhen New Pengcheng FC will host Beijing Guoan FC at Bao’an Sports Center in the 20th round of the Chinese Super League. According to the weather forecast, the match will be played in the rain due to the influence of a typhoon.
Shenzhen New Pengcheng currently sits in 10th place in the league, while Beijing Guoan is in 4th place, with a 16-point gap and a 28-goal difference. Their positioning and strength differ significantly. However, Shenzhen’s strength and positioning are undergoing a transformation, mainly due to their strategic signings during the transfer window.
Shenzhen New Pengcheng recently brought in Israeli international, Karzev, Brazilian striker Thiago, and “Chinese Super League King,” Dai Weijun. All three new additions contributed to the victory in the last round against Changchun Yatai. With these reinforcements, Shenzhen has seen a boost in both their strength and morale, securing 5 points in the last 3 rounds with 1 win and 2 draws, leading to an improved ranking. Adding to this, they pushed strong contender Shanghai Shenhua to a 0-0 draw in the FA Cup (despite losing in the penalty shootout), resulting in an undefeated streak of four matches in regular time.
Beijing Guoan has recently seen a resurgence in form, eliminating Wuxi Wu Gou in the FA Cup and defeating Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 2-0 in the last league match. However, their away form has been subpar. In the league, they have only managed 1 draw and 3 losses in their last 4 away games, a stark contrast to their previous 6 away matches (4 wins and 2 draws). This is a challenge that the team urgently needs to address. Before the match, Beijing media highlighted that although the temperature in Shenzhen (31-33 degrees Celsius) is similar to Beijing, the high humidity in the south differs significantly from the north, posing a challenge for Guoan.
In terms of head-to-head records, this match holds a “revenge factor” for Beijing Guoan. In their previous two encounters, one was in the 2021 FA Cup in October, where Guoan drew 1-1 with Shenzhen but lost in the penalty shootout. The other was the first round of this season, where Guoan suffered a 1-2 defeat to Shenzhen. Guoan’s head coach is currently injured (after being accidentally injured by Lin Liangming in training, leading to a fracture). Despite being on crutches, the coach still delivered a passionate pre-match speech: “We need to learn from our mistakes, and we need all three points from this game.”
Player-wise, Southern media emphasized that Dai Weijun is a key player to watch for Shenzhen, as their lineup has undergone major changes since the summer transfer window. Dai Weijun’s ability to “thread the needle” is crucial for their integration. Pre-match training also showed that Guoan coach, Suarez, has a targeted strategy to “contain Dai Weijun”. On the Beijing side, Zhang Xizhe and Adebayor are injured and did not travel to Shenzhen. The player to watch is Zhang Yuan, who replaced Zhang Xizhe. Initially, he was doubted as a potential “weak link” but scored his first goal for Guoan in the last round, becoming a “surprise” for the team.
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