As night falls, the flames of the 18th round of the 2022 Chinese Super League (CSL) started again on September 14th at 19:30 Beijing time. Beijing Guoan returned to the Rizhao International Football Center to face Hebei, the bottom team in the league. With Coach Stanley at the helm of Guoan, the desire for a first win and the fatigue of the all-Chinese Hebei team make the match full of unknowns and suspense.
With 17 rounds of matches coming to an end, Beijing Guoan is in the ninth place in the league with 23 points with 6 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses. In the last round, the match between Guoan and Dalian was postponed due to the epidemic factor. And in the 16th round, Guoan and the promotion horse Zhejiang team into a 2-2 draw, the top scorer Zhang Yuning double, this season's goal number has reached 10 goals, tying the highest personal career record. Stanley coach's first official appearance is a little bland, but the face of the weaker Hebei team, Guoan team up and down the natural will not easily let go of the good opportunity to grab points.
Coach Stanley said in the pre-match conference, "We are well prepared and the players have performed satisfactorily in training. We will do our best to show our high pressing style of play in this game. In order to achieve this, we need good organization and communication. Therefore, we have focused on this aspect of training this week."
Meanwhile, Hebei is facing a tough relegation situation with only 1 win and 3 points in 17 rounds of matches. In the last round of the league, Hebei suffered a 0-6 loss to promotion horse Meizhou Hakka, and suffered 9 consecutive defeats, losing 15 out of 16 games, which is a record in the history of the team. The team's problems on the defensive end of the field are particularly glaring, with a whopping 27 goals conceded in the last five league matches, while on the offensive end of the field, the team has scored only single-digit goals in 16 matches.
Hebei head coach Jin Jongfu said in the pre-match conference, "We feel very sorry due to the absence of our main players. The team is quite tired after this journey from Meizhou to Rizhao, but we will do our best tomorrow to present a wonderful game for our fans." Player representative Zhao Ziye also said that although the team is currently at a low ebb, the coaching staff is actively adjusting and hopes to bring a wonderful game tomorrow.
In the past 10 meetings between the two teams, Beijing Guoan holds a slight advantage with five wins, two draws and three losses.
Starting Lineup Prediction:
Beijing Guoan (4231): 14-Zou Dehai; 19-Liu Huan, 22-Yu Dabao, 5-Memishevich, 27-Wang Gang; 6-Chi Zhongguo, 15-Gao Tianyi; 17-Jiang Xiangyou, 10-Zhang Xizhe, 30-Daburo; 9-Zhang Yuning;
Hebei (4231): 30-Bao Yaxiong; 21-Cui Lin, 4-Pan Ximing, 6-Zhang Junzhe, 24-Zhang Yu (U23); 8-Yao Daogang, 42-Gao Yunan; 7-Xu Tianyuan, 20-Gao Huaze, 25-Liao Wei (U23); 45-Zhao Ziye;
