HOHHOT, China, May 5 -- The newcomer Dalian Yifang grabbed the team's first victory at home in the ninth round of the 2018-19 Chinese Super League (CSL) on Saturday by beating the defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande.
As the only team with no victory in CSL this season, Dalian Yifang were not expected to take any advantage from the defending champions.
Dalian Yifang's striker Nyasha Mushekwi created dozens of threats in front of Evergrande's penalty area and the 30-year-old broke the deadlock in the 24th minute with Nicolas Gaitan's assist. Mushekwi created a penalty by the end of the first half and Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco kicked the ball into the net from the spot to enlarge the gap to 2-0. Wang Jinxian completed the 3-0 victory for the host team several minutes before the end of the game.
Dalian's coach Bernd Schuster was satisfied with the players' performance.
"It's a long-waited victory. Our players are becoming more confident step by step and I will make efforts to lift the team to a higher place," Schuster said at the press conference.
Fabio Cannavaro, the coach of Guangzhou Evergrande, on the other hand, was very angry with the loss as he thought the players didn't take the match serously and there's no excuses for the defeat.
The visiting Beijing Guoan beat Shanghai SIPG 2-1, although Brazilian striker Elkeson's score in the 26th minute helped Shanghai SIPG take the lead in the first half. Beijing Guoan's Piao Cheng's header at the beginning of the second half equalized the score. Cedri Bakambu's goal seized the game for the visiting team.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Chongqing Lifan lost to Tianjin Quanjian 0-1, Guangzhou R&F smashed Shanghai Greenland 4-2 at home, and Henan Jianye beat Hebei China Fortune 1-0.