Undefeated in 11 games across two competitions, with four consecutive wins in the Chinese Super League! Guo'an returns to the top tier of the CSL!

Special contribution by Song Ci. Written by Song Ci. On August 18, in a make-up game of the 18th round of the CSL, Guo'an beat Shenhua 3-0 on the road. Since entering August, they have secured four straight wins in the league, and overall in both competitions, they have gone 11 matches unbeaten with 9 wins and 2 draws. The in-form team has fully recovered from the mid-season instability, rising to second in the league table. This comprehensive away triumph is also a classic fixture for Guo'an this season.

The Beijing-Shanghai derby has never been an ordinary match. Their encounters carry the most storied city rivalry in Chinese football, often called the "National Derby" of the CSL. Every meeting between the two traditional giants is full of tension and buzz. Guo'an's last victory at Shenhua's home ground dates back to 2019. Over the following seven years, the Imperial Guards made several trips to Shanghai without success. This time, a clean 3-0 victory is of great quality and finally breaks the away-win curse.

Guo'an head coach Montgomery said after the match: "Our last win here was in 2019. After such a long time, to get a victory here is the result of the whole team's efforts. We have faced many difficulties this season, and we are overcoming them one by one. I hope we can play even more smoothly in the future."

In this match, Guo'an showed excellent form, scoring from multiple sources with three goals building on each other, completely breaking down Shenhua's defense. The opening goal came from foreign defender Ramos, who joined the team for a bargain price of only 100,000 euros, making him the most cost-effective signing of the season. As the defensive anchor, he not only stabilizes the backline, becoming a solid defensive wall, but also contributes consistently in attack. This season, he has scored three goals, fully delivering value on both ends, with a cost-effectiveness far exceeding most foreign players in the league.

It is worth noting that the starting duo of Zhang Yuning and Fabio, though failing to score, provided immense value in terms of occupying defenders, pulling them out of position, and delivering passes. They made several precise assists, creating excellent scoring opportunities for teammates. This fully demonstrates that Guo'an no longer relies on a single scoring point, and their attacking system is becoming more mature.

After the game, Montgomery praised both forwards: "Zhang Yuning is the captain of the national team and also our captain. He is outstanding and created many chances. In the last game, when he was unwell, I substituted him off. Today he proved himself again. Fabio also performed very well."

Since defeating Tongliang Long on May 30 in the 15th round of the CSL, Guo'an has gone 9 wins and 2 draws in 11 games across two competitions. The two draws include a 2-2 away tie against league leaders Rongcheng, which was also a valuable result. Since August, Guo'an has been on a winning streak in the CSL: a 2-1 victory over Zhejiang, a 4-0 thrashing of Xinpengcheng, a 4-2 comeback win over Jinmen Tigers, and now this 3-0 clean victory over Shenhua. In these four league games, they have scored 13 goals, averaging over 3 goals per game. After this match, Guo'an moved up to second place in the standings with 35 points.

Behind this clean-sheet victory lies the ultimate defensive resilience. National team goalkeeper Hou Sen once again delivered a legendary performance, becoming the top contributor to the team's win. Throughout the match, Shenhua launched repeated attacks, creating many dangerous chances, but all were neutralized by Hou Sen. By the 80th minute, Hou Sen had already made 8 impressive saves, 3 of which were critical interventions inside the box. In particular, during the first half, a close-range goal-bound opportunity from Shenhua was miraculously denied by Hou Sen's right foot, holding the line for the team and becoming an insurmountable barrier for Shenhua.

However, Hou Sen remained calm and humble. In the post-match interview, he credited the whole team. He specifically mentioned that forwards like Zhang Yuning and Fabio ran tirelessly throughout the game, pressing high and dropping back to help defend, greatly compressing the opponent's attacking space, and building a solid fortress that integrated offense and defense. "It was the whole team's unity and hard work that secured this hard-fought victory," he said.

Of course, veterans Wang Gang and Li Lei, with their excellent defense, repeatedly neutralized the opponent's flank attacks, playing a crucial role in keeping a clean sheet.

Solid defense laid the foundation for victory, while efficient offense sealed the game. Guo'an's offensive tactics were executed perfectly in this match. The team based itself on defense, waiting for counterattacks. Every transition between offense and defense was highly threatening, with fast counter-attack speed and high finishing efficiency. They precisely seized the opponent's defensive loopholes, turning attacking advantages into goals and victory.

Montgomery's on-the-spot adjustments and substitutions were equally efficient. The personnel changes in the second half were precise and effective. Substitutes Jia Feifan and Zhang Xizhe combined to create a deadly attack: Jia Feifan delivered a precise pass, and Zhang Yuning assisted Zhang Xizhe to score the team's third goal, completely ending the suspense.

With everyone contributing, effective tactics, and a balance between attack and defense, today's Guo'an has shed the fluctuations of the early season and returned to normal track.