3-game winning streak + 8 rounds unbeaten! Solving the long-standing scoring problem, Guo'an awaits the Beijing-Shanghai showdown

Special Contributor/Song Ci Relying on outstanding counter-attacking efficiency and excellent chance conversion, Guo'an defeated Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 4-2 in the second leg of this season's Beijing-Tianjin derby, avenging the bitter 2-4 home loss in the first leg. This victory extended Guo'an's league unbeaten run to eight games and secured a third consecutive league win. The most impressive aspect of this match was that Guo'an finally ended the long-standing problem of low attacking efficiency. The lethality of their transitions and the stability of their finishing have greatly improved, becoming the core confidence for the team's continuous point accumulation. Two days later, Guo'an will face rivals Shenhua away, and if they can maintain their winning streak, they will leap to second place in the league standings.

The opening of this Beijing-Tianjin derby was highly dramatic. The home side Tianjin Jinmen Tiger started extremely quickly, taking control of the game in the first 15 minutes and pressing Guo'an into their own half, showing strong home momentum. Facing the opponent's high-intensity pressing and continuous wing attacks, Guo'an's defense was initially passive, with frequent dangerous moments in front of goal. At the critical moment, Guo'an goalkeeper Hou Sen continued to show superb form, making three crucial saves in the first half, repeatedly defusing Tianjin's threatening shots, keeping the goal secure, and laying the foundation for the team to stabilize and eventually turn the game around.

Despite dominating the proceedings, Jinmen Tiger failed to take their excellent opportunities to break the deadlock, dominating possession but not scoring. After withstanding the opponent's early onslaught, Guo'an gradually regained their rhythm. The situation on the field quietly reversed after the 15th minute. After Tianjin missed a chance in the final third, Guo'an launched a smooth and swift counterattack. Ru Zinan delivered a precise assist, and Fabio calmly finished at the front of the goal, helping Guo'an take the lead first, gaining an advantage despite being under pressure.

With a composed mindset, Guo'an became increasingly confident. Towards the end of the first half, Guo'an once again produced a high-quality transition, creating a favorable 4-on-4 situation in the attacking third. Facing retreating defenders, Fabio observed the situation and sent a precise through ball, perfectly finding the fast-advancing foreign player Da Wan, who followed up and slotted the ball into the net, extending the lead to 2-0. Guo'an ended the first half with a two-goal advantage.

After the break, Guo'an maintained their efficient counter-attacking rhythm, continuously attacking Jinmen Tiger's defense. Cao Yongjing and Fabio each scored a goal, extending the lead to 4-0 within just 10 minutes of the second half. After taking a big lead, Guo'an's defensive concentration slipped, creating gaps that allowed Jinmen Tiger to pull two goals back. The final score was 4-2, exactly replicating the scoreline of the first leg when Guo'an lost at home. This victory was not just about earning three points; it was a satisfying derby revenge. Guo'an repayed the opponent with the same score, completely washing away the shame of the first-leg defeat.

In this match, the key contributor to Guo'an's derby revenge was foreign player Fabio. After experiencing a mid-season dip in form and external criticism, the team's top scorer from last season returned to his peak, delivering a perfect performance of two goals, one direct assist, and one goal created. He single-handedly dominated the game's flow, answering all doubts with an unstoppable display.

Throughout the match, Fabio showed excellent competitive form, with active forward runs and decisive tackling. He could drop back to participate in midfield buildup, linking the attack and defense, and also sprint forward to finish chances. Besides scoring two goals himself, the team's second goal came from his vision and precise pass, assisting Da Wan's goal. The third goal, scored by Cao Yongjing, also originated from Fabio's oppressive pass in the final third, forcing a Jinmen Tiger defender's clearance error and creating a great scoring opportunity for his teammate. This allowed fans to once again witness the dominance of a striker at his peak.

In a post-match interview, Fabio displayed the professionalism and resilience of a top foreign player. When asked about external doubts regarding his declining form and age, he frankly said: "Football is my life, and I hope people keep pushing me. Some say Fabio is old, say Fabio is past it, but these voices don't discourage me; instead, they motivate me even more to perform better on the pitch."

Beyond his personal resurgence, Fabio also showed the responsibility and vision of a team leader. Discussing the victory in this derby revenge, he emphasized the team's atmosphere: "Before the game, I told everyone in the locker room that this is what family means. Once a few family members (injured players) are absent, other family members must step up. As long as I am here, the family atmosphere and unity of the whole team are our most precious assets and the key to our continued success."

Guo'an head coach Montgomery also expressed his happiness for Fabio after the match, stating that Fabio actually had a chance to score a hat-trick.

This 4-2 victory over Jinmen Tiger was not just a win in the Beijing-Tianjin derby and an extension of the winning streak for Guo'an; more importantly, the team completely solved the persistent problem of low attacking efficiency that had troubled them for a long time.

In many previous matches, Guo'an often dominated possession and had the upper hand but repeatedly missed excellent chances, struggling to score and win games. However, in this match, the team's finishing ability made a qualitative leap. Guo'an scored 4 goals from just 6 shots on target, while the opponent managed only 2 goals from 8 shots on target. Post-match statistics more intuitively reflect Guo'an's transformation: they had a total of 4 big chances and converted all of them, achieving a 100% success rate in converting big chances. Such finishing efficiency is rare in Guo'an's performance this season. From capitalizing on counter-attacks while under pressure in the first half to steadily extending the lead in the second half, every attacking transition was precise and efficient, bidding farewell to the old problem of "much ado but no result."

Beyond this single outstanding performance, Guo'an's overall competitive form has stabilized recently. In the last 8 rounds of the Chinese Super League, the team has achieved an unbeaten record of 6 wins and 2 draws, scoring 19 goals and conceding 8, with balanced attacking and defensive stats. In the last two games alone, they scored 8 goals, solving the attacking problem and upgrading efficiency, while reducing defensive loopholes and increasing stability. This simultaneous improvement in both attack and defense fully demonstrates the effectiveness of head coach Montgomery's coaching.

Regarding the team's performance, Montgomery said after the match: "I am proud of all the players. We had many key players absent, but for most of the game today we controlled the match. We scored four goals and deserved the three points. The lesson we learned from the previous encounter was to improve attacking efficiency, and we achieved that today."

Next Tuesday, Guo'an will face old rivals Shenhua in the rescheduled 18th round match. This delayed second leg of the Beijing-Shanghai derby will be a further test for Guo'an's players and coaches. Currently, Guo'an, with one game in hand, sits in 5th place with 32 points. In the standings without point deductions, they are 2 points ahead of Shenhua and 2 points behind Taishan, ranking 3rd. If they can continue their winning streak in the rescheduled match, Guo'an could rise to 2nd place in both standings.