According to Bangla Cricket Live, the latest clash between Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao and Shanghai SIPG was a fiercely contested battle, marked by high intensity and a strong desire to win from both sides. Evergrande dominated possession with 203 more active passes than their opponents, mainly through superior control in the midfield. Their trio of central midfielders — Goulart, Paulinho, and Huang Bowen — showcased excellent chemistry, dictating the game’s rhythm and allowing their team to maintain composure while building organized attacks. The trio combined for 170 passes with a 90% success rate, effectively covering the entire middle third of the pitch.
Shanghai SIPG lined up in their usual 4-3-3 formation with Wu Lei, Elkeson, and Hulk spearheading the attack. With Oscar sidelined, Odil Ahmedov and Zhang Huachen stepped in as central midfielders, supported defensively by Cai Huikang. However, without Oscar’s creative spark, the midfield once again struggled to link play, and neither the starting pair nor substitute Lin Chuangyi managed to establish control. The team’s offensive efforts relied heavily on individual skills from the front three, attempting to bypass midfield congestion with long passes and dribbling breakthroughs.
Unfortunately for SIPG, Guangzhou’s compact defensive block neutralized these efforts. Their limited attacking numbers meant that players like Hulk and Elkeson were often swarmed by defenders, forcing them into low-percentage long shots or solo runs that fizzled out. The game’s turning point came late in the second half, when SIPG, trailing on the scoreboard, made a bold tactical shift. Coach replaced defender Lin Chuangyi with attacking player Yu Hai, transforming the setup into a risky 3-3-4 formation.
That gamble paid off. Yu Hai’s left-wing run created the opportunity that allowed Wu Lei to score the equalizer and salvage a point for his side. On the other end, Evergrande employed a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Paulinho and Huang Bowen anchoring midfield due to suspensions for Zheng Zhi and Xu Xin. Wen Jiabao and Yu Hanchao played out wide, with Gao Lin up top and Goulart operating just behind him. Notably, foreign players Alan and Kim Young-Gwon started on the bench, giving more control to the domestic core.
Paulinho and Huang Bowen worked seamlessly with Goulart to maintain possession and tempo. While Evergrande didn’t create many clear-cut chances through their set offense, they struck twice on the counterattack. Both Alan and Yu Hanchao scored following quick transitions that exploited SIPG’s stretched formation. However, the match once again exposed ongoing issues in Evergrande’s defensive setup — something they’ll need to address in upcoming fixtures.
As Bangla Cricket Live continues to track the evolving landscape of Chinese football, this match serves as a reminder that strategy, flexibility, and split-second decisions can still be the difference between a win and a draw.