Shanghai SIPG defeated Beijing Guoan 2-0 in the 26th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL), rising to the second place on the table with three points behind Guangzhou Evergrande.

Guoan head coach Genesio put Bakambu on the bench and chose Fernando, Augusto and Kim Min-Jae for starting. On the other side, Shanghai sent Hulk, Akhmedov and Oscar to start, while Arnautovic didn't make the list.

In the 31st minute, Hulk broke through Kim Min-Jae's defense on the left side and tried to score a goal, but his effort was denied by the left post.

The turning point came in the 48th minute when Li Shenglong converted a header to break the deadlock. In the 65th minute, with the diagonal pass of Chen Binbin, Akhmedov sent a fierce shot to lead 2-0.

Replacing Beijing Guoan as the second, Shanghai SIPG has four rounds of games to go through, especially to meet Guangzhou Evergrande in the 28th round, but the team still has hope to strive for the crown.

SIPG striker Li Shenglong dedicated the team's success to its overall defense. "We did a good job in defense," he said. "Now it's too early to consider conquering Evergrande, we will keep focus on the next game with Dalian Yifang."

Elsewhere, Shandong Luneng beat Guangzhou R&F 3-1, sealing the second victory against the opponent this season.

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