On July 18, the night of the Guangzhou Football Super League ushered in a thrilling battle as the national football team won a dramatic 3-1 reversal against Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic in the sixth round of matches after the break. The victory not only cleared the haze of the previous draw with Henan Songshan Longmen, but also allowed Guangzhou to temporarily take the lead in the table. Guangzhou's bold rotation in this game showed their deep lineup thickness, which is undoubtedly a valuable capital in the fierce competition for the title.
Looking back at last Thursday's Chinese Super League bye, Guangzhou faced Henan Songshan Longmen, despite being held to a draw at one point, and questions were raised about head coach Carnavaro. However, against Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic, who also had a depleted squad, Guangzhou finally broke the deadlock under Cannavaro's guidance, with Alan and Yang Liyu replacing Ackerson and Golat, and Wei Shihao joining forces with a new combination of trident. Despite Chongqing scoring first in the opening half, Guangzhou came back quickly, with goals from Wei Shihao and Gao Junyi bringing about a turnaround, while Yang Liyu's goal put the victory in doubt.
Despite winning the midweek bye on goal difference, Guangzhou are still facing competition from Shandong Taishan, Guangzhou City and Shenzhen, making the situation complicated in the table. The final ranking of this season's Chinese Super League will be based on the total points of the two phases, which undoubtedly puts more pressure on Guangzhou. Luckily, this win puts them on par with Shandong Taishan for the time being and keeps them in the top four of the group.
Guangzhou's victory was not only due to the strength of the lineup, but also due to Cannavaro's flexible adjustment of the lineup. Even after Paulinho's departure, the team still showed a strong lineup thickness. From foreigners to local players, Guangzhou's talent pool is top in the entire league. However, the team's impact on both offense and defense remains after the loss of Paulinho.
In the next 25 days, Guangzhou will face an intensive schedule of nine rounds of league matches. Playing a league match every two days during the three-volt days puts a higher demand on the thickness of the team's lineup. Currently, Shandong Taishan, Shenzhen and Shanghai Shenhua are the only teams that have not been substantially affected at the foreign aid level, and they are at a disadvantage compared to Guangzhou in terms of local players. Therefore, Guangzhou team in the first stage not only to ensure that the group top four, but also as far as possible to open up the points gap with other teams, this match will be directly related to their prospects for the championship.
