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It was tempting to write it all off as one of those days but that would not do justice to Beijing Guoan's resilience that flourished against Guangzhou Evergrande on Wednesday night.
Bruno Genesio's side harried and hassled and could not really have given much more to try to gain a slight edge over the defending champions in the first leg of their Chinese Super League playoff semi-final. But, when the dust settled, there was not enough inspiration to go with all the perspiration.
Both sides found themselves on the wrong side of luck as former Barcelona midfielder Paulinho, Anderson Talisca, Renato Augusto and Cedric Bakambu all hit the woodwork in a stirring and fiercely fought goalless draw.
Despite their early ascendancy through quick-fire combination play involving Paulinho, Fei Nanduo and Ai Kesen, Evergrande did not have the wit or creativity in decisive areas to tear through their opponent's solid defense. Guoan, However, were quick to the ball, full of energy and managed to run the opposition off their feet.
The main drawback when teams play with that kind of ferocity and aggression is that errors and miscalculations can follow.
At times, Guoan needed goalkeeper Hou Sen to make last-ditch saves to bail them out and in one crucial moment there was another reminder about Hou's inspired ability to prevent the ball from going into his net.
Evergrande fans were already rising to their feet when Wei Shihao cut inside the box five minutes from time to let fly with a powerful shot towards the bottom corner, but in that split second Hou was lightning quick to react and displayed enormous agility to push the ball to safety.
Beijing Guoan's Hou Sen (jumping) makes a save during their Chinese Super League playoff game with Guangzhou Evergrande in Suzhou, east China, October 28, 2020. /CFP
"I'm very satisfied with Hou's performance. His composure and saves help us a lot," beamed Genesio after the game. "I thought over the course of the game a draw was probably a fair result. We were the better team in the first half and Evergrande responded well in the final 30 minutes."
Fabio Cannavaro, by contrast, was in a foul mood. "Guoan have several great players but the best of the bunch today is their goalkeeper," he observed. "I'm pleased about the number of chances we created in the second half but regrettably the ball wouldn't go in for us."
Guangzhou Evergrande captain Zheng Zhi (C) in action during the Chinese Super League playoff game with Beijing Guoan in Suzhou, east China, October 28, 2020. /CFP
It didn't help that Evergrande's veteran skipper Zheng Zhi picked up an early booking which means he will be suspended for the second leg on Monday. "We have to deal with the problem and try to find a solution," Cannavaro said.
"There is little margin for error when we play this kind of game. Every detail counts and the team with the fewest mistake will come out on top."
(CGTN)
