Davidson (L) of Wuhan Three Towns shoots during a 2022 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) match between Wuhan Three Towns and Beijing Guoan in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)
WUHAN, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan Three Towns extended its unbeaten streak to 12 matches with a 5-1 win over Beijing Guoan on home turf in the 12th round of the 2022 Chinese Super League here on Friday.
Wuhan took the offensive as Brazilian striker Marcao scored following a corner in the 5th minute, before repeating the trick 14 minutes later with another header from a corner.
Beijing cut the deficit to 2-1 in first-half stoppage time with Zhang Yuning's powerful volley. That goal was soon followed by a header from Wuhan's Ren Hang, but a VAR review disallowed it for offside.
Marcao continued his red-hot form in the second half, sealing his hat-trick in the 49th minute and scoring his and Wuhan's fourth goal 11 minutes later with a volley. The Brazilian was then replaced by Ademilson after suffering a leg injury.
In the 68th minute, Wuhan goalkeeper Liu Dianzuo saved from a Beijing corner, with Xie Pengfei quickly passing into midfield, allowing Brazilian forward Davidson to dribble past two Beijing players and fire home to seal a 5-1 win.
It was the first time for newly-promoted Wuhan Three Towns to play on home soil. Though the stands were only open to a few local supporters, cheers reverberated in the stadium for the whole match.
"We have a saying that the fans are like our 12th man, and I think our fans embodied that perfectly tonight," said Pedro Pineda, head coach of Wuhan Three Towns, adding that he expects to see more fans in the future.
Elsewhere, Chengdu Rongcheng defeated Guangzhou FC 2-1, while Shandong Taishan cruised past Cangzhou Mighty Lions 2-0. ■
Deng Hanwen (R) of Wuhan Three Towns vies with Zhang Yuning of Beijing Guoan during a 2022 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) match between Wuhan Three Towns and Beijing Guoan in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)
Liu Yiming (top) of Wuhan Three Towns vies with Cao Yongjing of Beijing Guoan during a 2022 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) match between Wuhan Three Towns and Beijing Guoan in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)
Zhang Xiaobin (top) of Wuhan Three Towns competes during a 2022 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) match between Wuhan Three Towns and Beijing Guoan in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)
Davidson (1st R) of Wuhan Three Towns scores a goal during a 2022 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) match between Wuhan Three Towns and Beijing Guoan in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)
Zhang Yuning (R) of Beijing Guoan scores a goal during a 2022 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) match between Wuhan Three Towns and Beijing Guoan in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)
Oscar Maritu (R) of Cangzhou Mighty Lions vies for a header during a 2022 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) match between Shandong Taishan and Cangzhou Mighty Lions in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Aug. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Hu Zhixuan)
Oscar Maritu (L) of Cangzhou Mighty Lions competes with Zheng Zheng of Shandong Taishan during a 2022 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) match between Shandong Taishan and Cangzhou Mighty Lions in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Aug. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Hu Zhixuan)
