On the night of November 21st, Beijing Guoan faced Guangzhou City on the road in the 26th round of the 2022 Chinese Super League. Guoan took a two-goal lead in the first half, and in the second half center back Yu Dabao was unfortunate to be ejected with a red card, but playing with one man less, Guoan still solidified the lead and defended the fruits of victory with a score of 2-1. Guoan's performance in the first 10 rounds of the tournament was impressive, with a record of 6 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss. Coach Stanley's "high press" concept of ball control has penetrated into the marrow of every player's bones. However, in the second round of the China FA Cup last Thursday, the team unexpectedly lost to the champion team Jingchuan Wenhui. Through psychological counseling, Stanley shifted the players' attention to the current round of the Chinese Super League match against Guangzhou City in an effort to revitalize their morale and performance. In this match, facing Guangzhou City, who are in the bottom three of the table, Guoan team adopted the familiar 4231 formation. Goalkeeper Housen guarded the goal, while the backline consisted of Wang Gang, Memishevich, Yu Dabao and Nai Bijiang, with Zhang Chengdong replacing Ji Zhongguo, who was suspended for the game with a yellow card, as a defensive midfielder, partnering Gao Tianyi. Three attacking forwards, Kang Xiangyu, Zhang Xizhe and Wang Ziming, were tasked with supporting the team's striker Zhang Yuning. At the beginning of the game, Guangzhou City attacked like a tide, but Guoan firmly took control of the ball by virtue of their technical superiority. Only 4 minutes into the game, Jiang Xiangyou's precise cross from the right side of the field was met by Zhang Yuning's leaping header, giving Guoan their 16th goal of the league season and a 1-0 lead. Trailing, Guangzhou City quickly launched a counterattack, with two foreigners, Guilherme and Caldona, becoming the key to the team's offense. Guoan's high press made Guangzhou City's midfielders insufficient support for the two foreigners, and it was difficult for them to get the ball near the penalty area easily. In the 24th minute, Guoan broke the ball in front of the field and Wang Gang assisted Kang Xiangyou to extend the score. After that, Guangzhou City committed many fouls to delay Guoan's offense, and the score remained unchanged at the end of the first half. In the second half, Guangzhou City adjusted their attacking strategy by distributing the ball to the two wings, creating opportunities for the two foreigners in front of the field to directly face Guoan's defense. In the 55th minute, Yu Dabao, as the last defender, beat Cardona outside the penalty area and the referee showed a direct red card to send him off. In order to solidify the defense, midfielder Zhang Chengdong was pulled back into the defense, and Guoan was forced to play with one less player. Guangzhou City, who had the numerical advantage, launched an onslaught of attacks in the last 20 minutes, with Stanley replacing center back Bo Yang in time to keep a close eye on the opposing forwards. In injury time, Guoan was awarded a penalty for a handball in the penalty area and Guilherme's spot kick was pulled back to a City. In the end, Guoan continued their unbeaten run with a 2-1 win over Guangzhou City.
