In the 23rd round of the Chinese Super League (CSL), Wuhan Sanzhen beat relegation rivals Guangzhou 4-1 at home on Nov. 3 in Beijing time zone. Davidson (two goals), Stancho and Xie Pengfei all scored in the win, which kept their goal difference ahead of Shandong Taishan at the top of the table, although they may face a tougher test in the next round.
Looking back at the last round of matches, Wuhan Sanzhen lost to Chengdu 0-1, with foreigners Davidson and Stancho performing poorly, and top scorer Malcolm receiving a yellow card, which has accumulated to four and is facing a suspension. Nevertheless, Malcolm's absence seemed to have a limited impact on Wuhan Sanzhen, as coach Pedro still sent four foreigners to the match. With Wallace and Liu Yiming out due to injuries, the midfield is still controlled by Stancho, with Edmilson replacing Malcolm as a striker to partner Davidson.
Wuhan Sanzhen took control of the match from the very beginning and scored in just 4 minutes. Davidson took a corner kick from Stanciu and shot inside the penalty area, but the goal was disallowed due to a handball. However, in the 10th minute, Sanzhen broke through again, Xie Pengfei crossed the ball inside the penalty area, and Stanciu shot into the corner of the net, giving Sanzhen a 1-0 lead. Facing relegation pressure, Guangzhou's strength should not be underestimated. In the 17th minute, foreign aid player Guilherme's free kick broke through the goal, but Sanzhen's goalkeeper Liu Dengzuo failed to stop it. After Guilherme's injury, Guangzhou lost their most threatening attacking point and San Zhen took full control of the game.
Just a minute after Guilherme left the field, Davidson helped Tri-Town take the lead again. The goal stemmed from a mistake by Guangzhou's goalkeeper Han Jiaqi, which dealt a blow to Guangzhou's morale. Five minutes into the second half, Xie Pengfei received a precise pass from Wallace and scored with ease to extend the lead to 3-1, and the game was almost over. Subsequently, Wuhan Sanzhen replaced Stanciu, Xie Pengfei and other main players, and the game went into the end, Davidson in the last minute and then a city, and finally sealed the victory with a score of 4-1, to capture the valuable three points.
Meanwhile, Shandong Taishan also beat Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 4-1 in the 23rd round, but was tied by Wuhan Sanzhen a few hours later. Both champions were unbeaten in this round, but Wuhan Sanzhen's victory came more easily than Taishan's. After all, Guangzhou's strength is far from Sanzhen's, and it hardly poses a threat.
However, Wuhan Tri-Town can't take the win lightly as their next opponent will be Beijing Guoan. In the first round between the two teams, Sanzhen had thrashed Guoan 5-1, but the Guoan of that time is obviously not comparable to the current team. What's more, Guoan will go all out in their revenge match against San Zhen at home, which will bring unprecedented challenges to San Zhen. Therefore, how to prepare for the next round of matches has become a pressing issue for coach Pedro. Fortunately, Malcolm will be released from suspension in the next round, and his striker combination with Zhang Yuning will be the key to the game. Let's wait and see if San Zhen can create another miracle! (DD)
