Sports
12:12, 20-Aug-2018
Evergrande thrash Quanjian to stay in Chinese title race
Updated
11:56, 23-Aug-2018
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Fabio Cannavaro's Guangzhou Evergrande gave a truly five-star performance in thrashing Tianjin Quanjian 5-0 to keep the pressure on Beijing Guoan and maintain their own hopes of securing the title of the Chinese Super League (CSL).
Both Evergrande and Quanjian had encountered setbacks ahead of the game. Evergrande lost 3-2 to Changchun Yatai while Quanjian had failed to find a victory in four games.
Paulinho broke the deadlock for Evergrande early. The 15th-minute goal capped the Brazilian international's 100th appearance as an Evergrande player.
His compatriot Anderson Talisca almost added to the score in the 39th minute, but his close-range header went behind for a goal kick after finding the crossbar.
Anderson Talisca celebrates by pointing his fingers towards the sky during the clash between Guangzhou Evergrande and Tianjin Quanjian. /VCG Photo
Anderson Talisca celebrates by pointing his fingers towards the sky during the clash between Guangzhou Evergrande and Tianjin Quanjian. /VCG Photo
Ricardo Goulart scored an easy goal in the 52nd minute after a poor clearance from Quanjian's Zhang Cheng. Paulinho made it 3-0 in the 57th minute and Talisca scored twice later in the game as the midfielder finished off the scoring in the 90th minute.
Guangzhou remain in fourth place, but just three points now separate the top sides after both Beijing Guoan and Shandong Luneng lost.
Elsewhere on Sunday night, Chris Coleman secured the second win of his Hebei China Fortune tenure with a 4-1 victory against 10-man Shanghai Shenhua, thanks in part to the return to action of Argentinian winger Ezequiel Lavezzi, who set up Ren Hang's opener.
Zhang Lu's sending-off a minute after coming on for Liu Ruofan ended Shenhua's hopes of clawing their way back.
(With input from agencies)