Substitute Bakambu shows ambition but fails to score a single goal. Photo/IC PHOTO
In the 6th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL), Beijing Guoan shook hands with Tianjin Jinmen Tigers in a 0-0 draw this afternoon, bringing their three-game winning streak to an abrupt end. After the game, Guoan player Dabao said that the team missed good opportunities, and regretted that they could not win the draw.
This game, the two teams on the season's first "Beijing-Tianjin Derby" preparations show different attitudes: Guoan just completed a bye with Hebei on Friday, only two days to adjust, but fortunately the bench is full of personnel, after the return of Bakambu and rehabilitation of Wang Gang selected to start; and the Jinmen Tigers have more time to prepare for the first game after the break.
Only 8 minutes into the game, Jin Pengxiang's injury made Guoan use up their substitutions early. Although Guoan then dominated the field, but Zhang Yuning, Prince Ming and Ji Zhongguo's shots were not converted into goals, the two sides 0-0 in the first half of the blanks. In the second half, Bakambu and Wang Gang came on as substitutes, but the tight defense of the Jinmen Tigers made it difficult for Guoan to break through, and the score remained unchanged. Meanwhile, Wuhan's match with Shanghai Seaport also ended 0-0, with no goals scored.
The stats show that Guoan had 68.6% possession and led in shots on goal, 20-7.
Dabao said after the match that the team should have been more determined to fight for the victory despite the untidy lineup and the high temperature affecting the players' form, "The opponent played tenaciously, but we still created chances. If we could have been more determined and effective in seizing the chances, we could have won the game, but unfortunately we didn't." Talking about the feeling of the game in the afternoon session in hot weather, Dabao said bluntly, "No matter when the game is scheduled, we have to execute it. Maybe the game was not exciting enough and slightly less watchable, but the game was finished after all."
