Guoan players returned to training in Beijing on 2 January ahead of the team's planned winter training camp in Portugal. Full-back He Yupeng was on a trial at Guoan as he participated in training sessions.[1]Gao Tianyi did not participate in the initial training and later announced his departure from the club on social media on 5 January.[2]
On 27 January, Guoan's pre-season training continued with back-to-back friendlies with Czech side Slavia Prague. In the first match, despite Abreu scoring in the 2nd minute, Guoan went on to concede 3 in the second half and lost 1–3.[6] In the second match, a rotated team held on to a 0–0 draw.[7]
Continuing its pre-season training camp, Guoan played against two training matches on 31 January. In the morning, the team played against Portuguese team Moncarapachense and won 2–0 thanks to goals from Yu Dabao.[8] In the afternoon, Guoan played against Faroese club KÍ as part of the Atlantic Cup tournament with Guoan winning 1–0 thanks to an Abreu goal in the 5th minute.[9] On the same day, the club also announced contract extension with Zhang Yuning, Hou Sen, Yang Liyu, Li Ke, Zhang Chengdong, and Jiang Wenhao.[10]
2 February saw Rio Ave, former club for Portuguese player Guga, announce his transfer to Beijing Guoan.[11]
Guoan played 2 further training matches on 6 February, the last day of the team's Portugal training, winning 1–0 against Louletano and 2–0 against Farense.[12]
The team returned for Guoan on 8 February with plans of regrouping on the 13 February in Guangzhou after the Chinese New Year celebration.[13] On the same day, the club announced a contract extension to the end of 2025 with manager Ricardo Soares.[14] The league calendar was also announced on 8 February, and Guoan is set to start of the season with 3 away games against Cangzhou Mighty Lions, Shangdong Tainshan, and Wuhan Three Towns respectively.[15]
On 13 February, the team gathered in Guangdong to start the next winter training camp ahead of the season.[16] The next day, Guoan officially announced the signing of Mamadou Traoré, He Yupeng, Guga, Lin Liangming, and Zhang Yixuan. He and Lin transferred from the disbanded Dalian Pro, Traoré came from Qatari club Muaither, and Zhang Yixuan came from Hubei Istar. The players would wear number 2, 3, 8, 11, and 40 respectively.[17] The same day, Croatian media reports that Marko Dabro, who spent the last season on loan at Latvian club Riga, has signed for Croatian side Varaždin as his contract with Guoan was terminated by mutual agreement.[18]
Guoan played a friendly against Yunnan Yukun on 19 February in the team's Guangdong training sessions. 3 periods of 40 minutes were played with Guoan emerging victorious thanks Zhang Xizhe assist a header from Wang Ziming in the third period.[19] Guoan's last set of friendly games came on 24 February. The team won 2–0 against Guangxi Pingguo Haliao thanks to goals from new arrivals Guga and Lin Liangming, but lost 2–3 to Liaoning Tieren with Yang Liyu and Samuel Adegbenro scoring Guoan's two goals.[20]
Ahead of the start of the new season on 28 February, Soares announced that the club has registered Adegbenro ahead of Kang Sang-Woo for the beginning of the season. Per CSL rules, Kang would not be able to participate in club matches until at least the start of the summer window when registration is again possible. Soares said the decision was difficult, but Adegbenro was picked in the end due to being better in 1-on-1 situations comparatively.[21]
March
Guoan played its first league game of the season on 2 March away at Cangzhou Mighty Lions. The team lined up in a new 3-4-3 formation: Traoré, Ngadeu-Ngadjui and Bai Yang lined up as a back three behind Guga and Chi Zhongguo, Li Lei and Wang Gang provided support from the flanks, and Zhang Yuning, Abreu and Lin Liangming led the line. Guoan opened the scoring in the 14th minute as Wang Gang provided a cross for Zhang Yuning to finish inside the box and score on his 100th appearance for Guoan. Following the goal, goalkeeper Hou Sen made a number of important saves and interventions to keep Cangzhou at bay. In the third minute of added time in the second half, Adegbenro was tripped inside Cangzhou's box and won a penalty, which substitute Yang Liyu finished with a powerful shot up high. Guoan notched its first victory of the season with the 2–0 win. New singing He Yupeng also made his debut in the game, replacing a tired Wang Gang at the left wing-back position in the 86th minute.[22]
The club bid farewell to Kang Sang-woo, whose spot on the team was given to Adegbenro after the winter transfer window, on 6 March with the club announcing officially that his contract was terminated. He joined the team ahead of the 2022 season and scored 13 goals and provided 12 assists across 59 games in all competitions during his time with the team.[23] He later signed for Korean K League 1 club FC Seoul.[24]
Guoan travelled to play Shandong Taishan on matchday 2 on 9 March. Guoan lined up similar to last week with a recovered Li Ke taking the place of Chi Zhongguo. Shandong, however, rotated heavily from their midweek AFC Champions League lineup with only 2 players starting both games. Abreu missed a good chance in the 4th minute, and the scoreline remained 0–0 at half-time. In the 53rd minute, Zhang Yuning tried an overhead pass, and Abreu slotted it into the net; however, the goal was ruled offside due to referees judging Lin Liangming, who made no contact with the ball, started his motion in an offside position and impeded defence. Guoan had a number of opportunities late in the game, but failed to score. The game ended in a 0–0 draw.[25] Wang Gang, who started the game but was substituted off in the 60th minute due to having been subjected to two strong tackles from Shandong players, was confirmed on 10 March to have suffered a hairline fracture of his fibula in his left leg and is expected to be absent from the team for 2 months.[26]
As Li Ke, Li Lei, Lin Liangming, and Zhang Yuning travelled for international break,[27] Guoan played a training match against Cangzhou Mighty Lions on 17 March with Guoan winning 6–1. Abreu contributed 3 goals, Cao Yongjing 2, and Nebijan Muhmet the last.[28] Guoan played another training match on 23 March with Qingdao Hainiu and won 2–1. Hainiu scored first, but Zhang Xizhe leveled with a direct free kick, and a Fang Hao assist for Abreu helped turn the game around.[29]
In the afternoon on 30 March, Guoan travelled to Wuhan to face Wuhan Three Towns in the first league fixture after the international break. He Yupeng replaced the injured Wang Gang in the starting line-up while Yang Liyu started for the first time this season with Zhang Yuning being rested. Little occurred in the first half with media observing both teams played defensively and knocked passes around the back line instead of forward.[30] Li Lei provided a threatening cross into the box immediately after the break, but Lin Liangming's header was saved by Wuhan's goalie. Seeking change in the attack, Soares brought on Adegbenro and Fang Hao, and both players helped Guoan open up the game. in the 74th minute, a He Yupeng cross from the right reached Adegbenro, who knocked the ball back across the box to Abreu, and Abreu finished with an overhead kick that ended in the back of the net and giving Guoan a 1–0 lead. Traoré cleared a Wuhan header off the line in the 93rd minute, and the game ended in a 1–0 victory for Guoan. The game, Guoan's first win ever against Three Towns, helped the team end its three-game away sequence with 2 wins and a draw and sending the team up to 4th place.[31] After Abreu scored his goal, Guoan players celebrated by lifting up a shirt that read "Yang Xue Fight On (Chinese:杨雪加油)," showing support to a long-term Guoan fan who was fighting severe illness. She died a few days after the match, and Guoan CEO Zhou Jinhui announced that her seat in the Workers' Stadium will not accommodate other supporters in the future.[32] Abreu was nominated for player of the matchday for his goal.[33]
Beijing Guoan's home opener v Shanghai Port starting line-up, 5 April 2024
On 5 April, Guoan played its first match in front of the home crowd this season against the reigning champions, Shanghai Port. Ahead of the game, fans from both teams commemorated the passing Guoan supporter Yang Xue in a stadium-wide ceremony.[34] For the game itself, Zhang Xizhe started his first game of the season after serving his cross-season 7-game suspension, and Jiang Wenhao replaced Li Lei in the line-up for his first appearance of the season. Guoan conceded first in the 10th minute from a corner as Wu Lei scored from outside the box from a corner with no Guoan players defending the edge of the penalty area. In the 13th minute, Abreu was withdrawn due to injury suffered in the opening minutes with Zhang Yuning suiting up. In the 27th minute, Guoan levelled the game as Bai Yang, venturing up the field, knocked the ball across the edge of Port's box and found Guga, who comfortably placed the ball into the goal. A Port goal was ruled off in the 33rd minute as the referee judged the attacking player roughed goalkeeper Hou Sen. At halftime, Soares replaced Lin Liangming with Adegbenro. In the 66th minute, another Port goal was written off as the attacking movement was offside. In the 81st minute, Guoan substitute Fang Hao was tripped by Port player in the box, and the referee awarded Guoan a penalty, which Zhang Yuning finished to give Guoan a 2–1 lead. However, the team failed to hold onto the lead, as they conceded from a Wu Lei header in the sixth minute of added time. Guoan drew the game 2–2 in the end but remain four games unbeaten so far this season.[35]
Just 4 days later, Guoan lined up in Workers' Stadium against newly promoted Shengzhen Peng City. Soares rotated the wingers, opting to start Cao Yongjing and Fang Hao, and played a 4-3-3 instead of the 3-4-3 that the team used in previous games. In the 23rd minute, Ngadeu-Ngadjui conceded a free kick just outside the box after having been judged to have handed the ball. Li Zhi's attempt was deflected into the net by a Guoan player, handing Guoan a 0–1 deficit. In the 39th minute, Zhang Yuning scored off of a Cao Yongjing cross, but the latter was judged to have committed a foul on a Shenzhen player in the attacking action and the goal was thus ruled out after review. In the 64th minute, He Yupeng handled the ball with his hand inside the box, and Guoan went two goals down after Shenzhen's Edu García converted from the spot. In the 90th minute, Adebgenro was fouled inside Shenzhen's box, and the referee awarded Guoan a penalty after a 5-minute review. Zhang Xizhe scored from the penalty kick, halving Guoan's deficit. However, despite bringing on multiple attacking players, Guoan ultimately failed to make additional inroads, and ended the match with a 1–2 loss, the team's first of the season.[36]
Guoan traveled to Shanghai to face old rivalShenhua on 13 April. Shenhua was the presumed favorite coming off of 5 consecutive wins. Guoan continued the 4-man backline and Soares named Zhang Yuan to the starting lineup for the first time in his Guoan career. Despite a good shenhua chance in the 2nd minute, it was Guoan that opened the scoring first. Lin Liangming knocked the ball to Zhang Yuning up the pitch, and Zhang Yuning danced his way through Shenhua defenders and powered the ball past keeper Bao Yaxiong. In the 24th minute, Fang Hao's cross found an unguarded Lin Liangming in the box, but Lin failed to convert. In the following Shenhua attack, André Luis skipped past both Li Ke and Li Lei and bent the ball into Hou Sen's far corner for a Shenhua equalizer. Neither team made progress later, but He Yupeng was sent off on a second yellow in the 81st minute after having committed an aggressive foul. The score remained 1–1 in the end.[37]
Guoan returned to Workers' Stadium to play newly promoted Qingdao West Coast on 21 April. Keen to finally win at home, Ngadeu-Ngadjui headed the ball into the net on the end of a Zhang Xizhe free kick in just the 6th minute, giving Guoan a 1–0 lead. A Zhang Yuning goal was ruled offside in the 41st minute after video review. 8 minutes into the second half, West Coast's Varazdat Haroyan was sent off by a straight red card after a bad foul on Lin Liangming. Playing a man up, Guoan found the game easy. Li Ke scored for the first time in 5 years in the 63rd minute from outside the box after a poor West Coast clearance, and Wang Ziming put Guoan 3 goals up after punching in a Li Lei cross. West Coast hit Guoan on the counter in the 90th minute and reduced the deficit by a goal, but Adegbenro put the game to rest by scoring another in the 96th minute. Guoan claimed its first home victory of the season as a result of the 4–1 win, moving up to 5th place.[38]
On 26 April, Guoan played Zhejiang away in the Yellow Dragon Sports Center. Guoan started the game with energy as the team sought to halt its three-game losing streak against Zhejiang, but was quickly pegged back for the majority of the first half. Against the wind in the second minute of added time before the break, Zhang Xizhe sent a through ball forward for Zhang Yuning to chase, and the latter slid it into the far corner to give Guoan a crucial lead. In the 52nd minute, Li Ke intercepted the ball from a sloppy Zhejiang player and set up Cao Yongjing, who punched the ball past the Zhejiang keeper and put Guoan two goals in front. In the 82nd minute, a controversial call saw Yang Liyu judged to have committed a foul in the penalty box after a lengthy video review, but Hou Sen managed to save the penalty.[39] However, Guoan was unable to keep the clean sheet to the end of the game, conceding once in chaos in the 96th minute. The eventual 2–1 victory for Guoan saw Guoan break 1,000 total points won in the Chinese Super League and helped the team extend its record-breaking undefeated away run to 11 games.[40][41][42] A referee review panel convened by the Chinese FA later reviewed the penalty ruling against Guoan and judged the penalty award was a mistake.[43]
The last match in April saw Guoan travel to Tianjin to play against Jinmen Tiger. Guoan lined up with some rotation: Adegbenro and Yu Dabao started for the first time of the season. Guoan was dealt a blow in the 15th minute with Zhang Yuan sent off after a video review judged him of having committed a violent foul on a Tianjin player. Playing a man down, however, Guoan opened the scoring first in the 51st minute of the game. A He Yupeng crossed missed everyone and reached Adebgenro on the far side of the pitch, and Adegbenro floated the ball back into the box for the onrushing Cao Yongjing to slice into Tianjin's goal for a Guoan lead. Despite an onslaught by Tianjin, Guoan held on to the 1–0 lead thanks to 8 saves from Hou Sen, extending the team's cross-season undefeated away run to a record-high 12 games.[44][45]
May
Guoan started May at home against Chengdu Rongcheng on 5 May. Guoan started well against the third-placed Chengdu. In the 12th minute, Guga intercepted the ball and drove it forward to the edge of the penalty area, and then launched a shot that went above the goalkeeper and into the net for a Guoan lead. Guoan doubled the lead in the 1st minute of added time with Fabio wrestling the ball into the goal after a corner. Despite leading, however, Guoan was pegged back in the second half and conceded a goal in the 52nd minute. The 2–1 score held on to the end, giving Guoan 4 wins in a row and elevating the team to third place on the league standings.[46]
Guoan produced a turnaround masterclass on 11 May against Meizhou Hakka at home. Meizhou opened the scoring in 19th minute after a Traoré interception failed to clear the ball and allowed Meizhou to get a shot off for a 0–1 lead. Soares opted to attack and swapped He Yupeng for Fang Hao in the 38th minute, but Guoan conceded again in the 45th with Hou Sen failing to get ahold of a Meizhou cross, allowing Wang Jia'nan to tap the ball into the goal. In the second half, Soares brought on Lin Liangming, Zhang Yuan and Yu Dabao to continue the pressure. The turning point of the fame came in the 74th minute when Meizhou player Pan Ximing was shown a red card for stepping on Abreu. Playing with 10 men, Meizhou failed to hold on to their lead. In the 76th minute, Lin Liangming headed in a goal at the end of a Li Lei cross from the left wing. In the 82nd minute, Yu Dabao, who failed to score for the whole of the 2023 season, bent a Zhang Yuning pass into the far corner from outside the box to tie the game at 2–2. Three minutes later, Fang Hao headed in a Abreu cross in a scramble inside the box, completing Guoan's turnaround at 3–2. The victory gave Guoan a 5-game win streak with the team just 3 points behind the league leaders.[47]
Guoan's second defeat of the season came away at last-place Changchun Yatai on 17 May. Soares was unavailable on the sidelines as he was suspended for having received two yellow cards prior to the match. In the 4th minute, an error from Ngadeu-Ngadjui allowed Yatai's Robert Berić to slide a pass to Serginho, sending Guoan a goal down. Guoan pulled a goal back in the 30th minute with Abreu heading in a Zhang Xizhe corner. The first half ended even. In the second half, Yatai opened the scoring again in the 67th minute with Guilherme dribbling past Li Lei and curving the ball past Hou Sen into the far corner. Guoan drew level in the 93th minute as a Guoan free kick from the halfway line allowed Traoré to knock the ball down towards Abreu, who put it into the back of the net for 2–2. However, just moments later, Zhang Yuan committed a foul in Guoan's penalty area and Changchun was awarded a penalty kick after video review. Peter Žulj sent Hou Sen the wrong way, and the game ended in a 2–3 defeat for Guoan, ending the team's 5-game win streak and knocking the team back down to 4th place on the league standings.[48]
Guoan traveled to play last-placed Qingdao Hainiu on 21 May. The match was played behind closed doors as Hainiu was cited for disciplinary violations prior to the game.[49] With Guoan's starters on the left flank, namely Li Lei, Zhang Yuning and Lin Liangming, all injured, Soares rotated the squad, starting Jiang Wenhao, Yu Dabao, Cao Yongjing, and Feng Boxuan. After a mostly routine first half, captain Yu Dabao was sent off with a second yellow card in the first minute of added time in the first half. Although playing a man down, Guoan scored first via Cao Yongjing in the 54th minute thanks to an assist from Abreu. However, Guoan gave up the lead in the 72nd minute as Hou Sen's failure to intercept a cross led to a Hainiu goal. In the 87th minute, Abreu fell in the Hainiu penalty area and Guoan players claimed for penalty, but the referee did not rule on the potential foul and the video assistant referee did not intervene. The game ended in a 1–1 draw with Guoan dropping points again against relegation zone opponents.[50]
Guoan's last game in May came against Nantong Zhiyun at home on 26 May. The game turned out to be an open-ended affair. Eager to win after a loss and a draw, Guoan stroke first with Abreu heading into a He Yupeng floater in the 5th minute and followed up with a He Yupeng header from a Zhang Xizhe corner in the 8th. However, Nantong pulled a goal back in the 23rd through a corner. In the 63rd minute, Abreu managed to pick a pass to Cao Yongjing through a pack of defenders, allowing the latter to score for a 3–1 lead. Yet, in the 73rd minute, Guoan conceded again as Nantong's Puclin placed a firmed shot to the bottom corner of Guoan's goal. Soares decided to continue attacking, bringing on Fang Hao and Nebijan Muhmet. In the 88th minute, a Fang Hao header at the end of a Nebijan Muhmet's cross was pushed away by Nantong's keeper but fell luckily to Abreu, who finished for a 4–2 Guoan lead. Fang Hao added another to Guoan's tally by scoring from outside the box in the 91st minute. Guoan won the game 5–2 and maintained its 4th place on the league standing.[51]
June
As the league paused for international break, Guoan played a training match against Qingdao Hainiu on 8 June with Guoan winning 3–1 thanks Zhang Chengdong, Abreu, and Yu Dabao.[52]
On 15 June, Guoan returned to league action, traveling to face 14th-placed Henan. Henan generated many chances in the first half, hitting the crossbar just 5 minutes into the game and threatened Hou Sen's goal multiple times. In the 30th minute, Guoan opened the scoring against the run of play with Cao Yongjing assisting Lin Liangming. However, Henan leveled in the 52nd minute via Bruno Nazário. Henan continued to generate chances while Guoan struggled to contain the opposition. Substitutes, including the recently recovered Wang Gang, failed to turn the tide of the game. Guoan conceded again in the 91st minute as Nemanja Čović headed the ball into Guoan's net. Guoan slipped to 5th place after the game while allowing Henan to win for the first time in 7 matches, and Hou Sen sustained a heavy knee injury during the match that would see him out of the team for 2 months.[53][54][55]
Guoan began its FA Cup campaign for the season on 22 June at second-division club Suzhou Dongwu. In the 20th minute, Suzhou's Xiang Rongjun was sent off for a foul from behind on Lin Liangming, and Zhang Xizhe placed the resulting free kick in the top right corner for a 1–0 Guoan lead. In the 34th minute, Guoan doubled the lead when Lin Liangming finished off the rebound of an Adebgenro header. In the 75th minute, substitute Yu Dabao flicked a Li Lei pass away from a defender and chipped the ball past the keeper for 3–0. Wang Ziming sealed the game in the 81nd minute as he guided a Fang Hao cross from the right into the goal. Guoan advanced to the next round and was drawn against second-division Wuxi Wugo.[57]
Riding on the cup victory, Guoan returned home to face Cangzhou Mighty Lions on 26 June to start the back half of the league campaign. In the 17th minute, Adegbenro helped Guoan to an 1–0 lead by sliding in a Ngadeu-Ngadjui long ball directly from the back line. Guoan doubled the tally in the 32 minute, this time Abreu finishing off a Adegbenro dish at a tight angle. Abreu's goal was Guoan's 1,600th in all competition since the club's founding. In the 84th minute, Yang Liyu was allowed by Cangzhou's defense to wander and nailed a long-range shot to the far corner for 3–0. Wang Ziming was fouled in added time, and scored the subsequent penalty to see Guoan to consecutive 4–0 victories.[58]
The last game of the month saw Guoan face off against Shandong Taishan, against which the team has not won since 2020, on 30 June at home. In an electrifying start to the match, Guoan opened the scoring after just 4 minutes: Abreu notched Li Lei's throw to Adebgenro, who finished with power past Wang Dalei for a 1–0 Guoan lead. Just 1 minute later, Adegbenro returned the favor and assisted Abreu with a cross across the penalty area for a 2–0 lead. Despite Taishan's onslaught, Han Jiaqi made 9 saves to keep a clean sheet and secured Guoan's 2–0 victory in front of a record-high 54,189 fans.[59][60][61]
July
On 7 July, Guoan announced the signing of goalkeeper Zheng Tuluo.[62] Later on the same day, Guoan hosted Wuhan Three Towns in the 18th matchday for CSL in a chaotic game. Li Lei, who was fouled early in the game, could not continue, and was replaced by Feng Boxuan in the 22nd minute. In the 33rd minute, Wuhan's Deng Hanwen, who had injured Li Lei with an earlier tackle, was sent off with a red card after a rough foul on Adegbenro. Despite being a man up, Guoan conceded in the 40th minute to a Wuhan counter. Starting the second half, Soares replaced Feng, who had just came on, with Nebijan Muhmet to bolster attack. In the 66th minute, Guoan's Traoré was sent off for a rough foul, evening the match to 10 players each. Despite bringing on Fang Hao, Yang Liyu and Wang Ziming to strengthen Guoan's attack, Wuhan first doubled their lead in the 85th minute. Nebijan lated received a blow to the head, having to be replaced by He Yupeng. in the 94th minute, Li Ke assisted Abreu for a headed goal, but Guoan failed to make additional progress, losing to Wuhan 1–2 at home.[63]
Guoan traveled to Shanghai to play against league leaders Shanghai Port on 12 July. With injuries and suspension on the back line, Soares lined up He Yupeng at left back, Zhang Chengdong alongside Ngadeu-Ngadjui in the middle, and Wang Gang at right back. Despite Port hitting the crossbar early on in the game, Guoan took the lead in the 13th minute with Lin Liangming nodding home a Zhang Xizhe corner. However, the game quickly became a Port highlight reel. Mere three minutes after Guoan's goal, Port's Wu Lei, the league leader in goals, was allowed space inside the box and scored to tie the game 1–1. In the 30th minute, Wu Lei assisted Gustavo to send Guoan 1–2 down. Three minutes later, Gustavo scored against while battling a shaky Zhang Chengdong. In the 58th minute, a Li Ke mistake allowed Wu Lei to provide another assist to Oscar. In the 71st minute, Wu Lei scored in close range to put Port 5–1 up. The game, which ended with a 1–5 Guoan loss, is tied for Guoan's second-worse loss in team history with the previous 1–5 loss coming also against Port in 2017.[64][65] In the post-match interview, Soares claimed that he was "unsatisfied" with the team's performance. Later, it was reported that CEO Zhou Jinhui was angry about the team's disappointing performance and recent form, and demanded the coaching staff to make immediate adjustments.[66]
Guoan bounced back in the FA cup fifth round match against Wuxi Wugo on 17 July. Before the match kicked off, Guoan players held up a number 12 shirt for the Guoan academy player Zhang Zhongyi who died suddenly in the days prior to the match as a tribute. In the 12th minute, Yang Liyu scored from a Cao Yongjing corner, and the former dedicated his goal to Zhang. Despite Wuxi's Zhu Haiwei scoring a screamer in the 71th minute, Guoan would emerge victorious thanks to late goals from Abreu and Zhang Yuning. The 3–1 win saw Guoan through to the quarter-finals, where the team would play against old rivals Shanghai Shenhua.[67]
Guoan returned home to play against regional rival Tianjin Jinmen Tiger on 21 July. Soares opted for a 4-4-2 to accommodate both Abreu and Zhang Yuning, who has since returned from injury. The first half ended in a 0–0 draw with Han Jiaqi denying a Ba Dun header. In the second half, Zhang Yuan replaced an injured Li Ke and put on a masterclass. In the 67th minute, his long ball found Abreu, whose shot was parried away by Tianjin's keeper but fell to Guga, who crashed the ball into the net for a 1–0 Guoan lead. In the 98th minute, Zhang Yuan initiated an attacking movement by sending the ball wide to Yang Liyu, and later finished off the same movement after receiving Yang's assist by sliding the ball to the far post past Tianjin's keeper. Han Jiaqi also made a number of saves to keep the clean sheet. Breaking a 2-game losing streak in the league, Guoan's win allowed it to hold on its 4th place.[68]
On 26 July, Guoan traveled play against Shenzhen Peng City. After a dull first half in the rain that saw both teams scoreless, Guoan broke through in the 54th minute via Zhang Yuning. However, the goal was ruled offside. In the 73rd minute, an Ngadeu back pass lacked power and was intercepted by Shenzhen player, forcing Han Jiaqi to commit a foul and give away a penalty. Shenzhen's Edu García converted the spot kick, leaving Guoan 1–0 down. Despite a number of chances to level the game afterwards, Guoan failed to do so and ended the game with a 1–0 loss. Guoan lost both league matches to Shenzhen this season, and this loss marked the third loss in the past 4 games.[69]
Beijing Guoan's home match against rival Shanghai Shenhua starting line-up, 4 August 2024
Guoan's August started with a headliner match against rival Shanghai Shenhua on 5th August. With a number of players injured and a number of losses in recent weeks, the game was considered difficult for Guoan.[70] Guoan, however, opened the scoring first in the 11th minute with Ngadeu heading into the net a Guga corner and giving Guoan a 1–0 lead. Shenhua had a number of chances in the first half, but Han Jiaqi scrambled to prevent Guoan from conceding. Shenhua managed to break through Guoan's defense 3 minutes into the second half, but the goal was ruled off by VAR. In the 76th minute, Shenhua's Malele riffled a cross into the roof of the net, drawing Shenhua level at 1–1. In the 98th minute, Zhang Xizhe, recovering from injury as a crucial substitute, slid a pass to Wang Ziming, who dropped a Shenhua defender before scoring and settling the game at 2–1 for Guoan. While Guoan remained 4th after the victory, the game was Guoan's 12th consecutive at home against Shanghai Shenhua, and gave Shenhua their first loss of the season.[71]
On 11 August, Guoan traveled to Qingdao and faced Qingdao West Coast. Li Lei was carded in just 5 minutes, but Lin Liangming drew first blood for Guoan in the 25th after an Abreu through ball cut through West Coast's defensive line. In the 59th minute, former Guoan player A Lan knocked a headed in before Wang Gang could clear the ball, drawing the teams level. A mere four minutes later, West Coast's He Longhai scored a diving header to put Guoan 1–2 behind. Li Ke was introduced in the 73rd minute to freshen up the midfield, but after a bad foul that involved him attempting to choke a West Coast player, he was sent off in the 86th minute. He was later issued an additional 4-match ban along with a ¥40,000 fine for his aggressive foul.[72] Guoan rescued a draw at 2–2 in the end thanks to Wang Ziming following up on a saved Abreu shot in the 96th minute.[73]
Guoan played against Zhejiang on 16 August at home. Wang Ziming, who was rewarded with his first start of the season after scoring decisive goals for consecutive games, missed two one-on-one chances in the first 20 minutes of the game. Guoan produced a number of chances in the first half, but the game stayed at 0–0. In the second half, Zhejiang managed to create better chances. In the 87th minute, Zhang Yuning was sent off after VAR review deemed his contact with Zhejiang player was too heavy. Neither team scored until the final whistle, ending the game in a 0–0 draw.[74] Zhang was issued a 3-match ban after the game for violent conduct.[75] He later posted on his personal social media account stating that he never hit the opposition player in the face and called the additional match ban "difficult to accept."[76]
In the quarter-finals of the Chinese FA Cup, Guoan traveled to Shanghai to play old rivals Shenhua on 22 August. In the 12th minute, Guoan conceded first as João Teixeira's shot from the edge of the box was deflected past Han Jiaqi. Despite a number of good chances in the first half, Guoan failed to level up the score. In the 48th minute, Abreu fell to the ground in the Shenhua box, but a controversial VAR review deemed Abreu to have handled the ball with his hand first, thereby ruling out any potential penalty call to the anger of Guoan coaches and players.[77] In the 91st minunte, Shenhua took advantage of Guoan's desperate attacks and scored another off of a counter via Shinichi Chen. Zhang Yuning pulled a goal back two minutes lated through a Cao Yongjing assist, but it was too late. With the game ending in a 2–1 loss for Guoan, the team was eliminated from this year's FA Cup.[78]
The tifo made by Guoan fans in the Workers' Stadium ahead of the August 4th match against old rivals Shanghai Shenhua
Players gathering in the match against Shanghai Shenhua
Players after an away draw against Qingdao West Coast
Guoan players in the Workers' Stadium in the August 16th game against Zhejiang
September
Guoan players returned from international break and traveled to face Chengdu Rongcheng on 14 September. In the 24th minute, Guoan conceded the first goal after Chengdu's Zhou Dingyang set the ball up for Rômulo to finish. A Guoan error in build-up in the 39th minute allowed Yahav Gurfinkel to assist Felipe, giving Chengdu a 2-goal lead. After the half, Guoan's play improved. In the 52nd minute, Cao Yongjing pulled a goal back, scoring a header from a Li Lei corner. In the 69th minute, Zhang Yuan slipped a ball to Lin Liangming on the left, who calmly placed the ball into the net through the keeper's legs, tying the game at 2–2. Neither team made progress afterwards, and the game ended in a 2–2 draw with Guoan holding onto 4th place after the game.[79]
On the 20 September, Guoan traveled to play against Meizhou Hakka. In the 11th minute, Guoan scored first as Li Lei headed in his first goal in 4 years from a Guga corner. In the 61st minute, Meizhou leveled the game through Tyrone Conraad. Soon after, Soares introduced Fang Hao into the game, and his drive led to Guga's goal in the 73rd minute to put Guoan 2–1 up. In the 89th minute, Abreu acted as a target man and set up Yu Dabao, who scored Guoan's third in the game. Guoan ended the game with a 3–1 victory, snapping its three-game draw streak.[80] Yu Dabao's goal also saw him surpass Zhou Ting to become Guoan's oldest scorer at 36 years and 155 days.[81]
Guoan broke records on 28 September with an emphatic win against Changchun Yatai at home. Guoan opened the scoring in the 8th minute with Guga assisting Cao Yongjing. Lin Liangming's goal in the 25th minute, Abreu's penalty in the 33rd and goal in the 41st saw Guoan establish a 4–0 lead before halftime, alhtough Changchun's Robert Berić pulled one back. In the second half, Guoan scored 4 unanswered goals with Abreu completing his hat trick with another penalty in the 51st, Fang Hao in the 72nd, and Wang Ziming in the 88th and 94th minute.[82] The 8–1 victory is Guoan's largest in the Super League era and the team's second largest ever, behind only the 9–1 victory against Shanghai Shenhua.[83] The scoreline also tied Shanghai Port for the largest scoreline and victory in the 2024 Super League season.
October
Returning from the international break to face Qingdao Hainiu at home on 19 October, Guoan extended its red-hot attacking form. In the 18th minute, Li Lei's log pass allowed Abreu to set up Cao Yongjing's goal. In the 26th minute, Abreu headed in a deflected Lin Liangming cross to double Guoan's lead. In the 48th minute, Abreu's cross from the right allowed Lin Liangming to tap the ball in for a 3–0 lead. In the 60th minute, Abreu's pass from the left allowed Cao Yongjing to double his tally as well. 6 minutes later, Abreu's through-ball set up Lin Liangming on the counter for Guoan's fifth. Hainiu's Liu Jiashen scored an own goal in the 89th and allowed Guoan to secure a 6–0 home victory. The win guaranteed Guoan at least a 4th-place finish in the league. Abreu, with 4 assists in the game, reached double figures for both goals and assists in the season. Youngster Fan Shangjie also made his first team debute for the club, replacing Li Lei in the 77th minute.[84]
Guoan's traveled to face Nantong Zhiyun for its last away game and second to last game of the season on 27 October. Guoan opened the scoring in just 3 minutes into the game with Abreu assisting Lin Liangming in a counter attack. In the 45th minute, Li Lei's corner found the head of Ngadeu, who nudged the ball into the far corner for a 2–0 Guoan lead at halftime. Nantong pulled a goal back in the 49th minute with Issa Kallon blasting a long-ranged shot past Han Jiaqi. In the 69th minute, Lin Liangming returned Abreu's favor and assisted the latter for the third Guoan goal. Zhang Yuning, who returned from his suspension, missed a penalth in the 83rd minute. The game ended with a 3–1 Guoan victory, and with one game left the team secured its 4th place finish in the league. Nantong was relegated after the loss.[85]
November
The last game of the season took place at home against Henan on 2 November with 46,581 fans in the stadium. In the 24th minute, Guoan put the ball in Henan's net first, but Fang Hao's strike was ruled out after VAR reviewed a prior foul. In the 40th minute, Guga smashed in a rebound goal to give Guoan the lead. However, Henan leveled just 5 minute later via a header. Neither team were able to score in the second half, and the game ended in a 1–1 draw. With 65 goals, the 2024 season is Guoan's highest scoring season ever in the Super League.[86]
During season: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Rankings in the previous season. (Rules 2 to 4 are only applied when teams concerned have finished both/all the matches against others.)
After season: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card = 3 points); 8) Drawing of lots. (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Stadium: TEDA Soccer Stadium Attendance: 28,550 Referee: Wang Jing Assistant referees: Shi Xiang Assistant referees: Guan Changliang Fourth official: Sun Lei
Stadium: Qingdao Youth Football Stadium Attendance: 0[note 3] Referee: Tang Shunqi Assistant referees: Su Xiaofei Assistant referees: Jin Jun Fourth official: Cui Yong
Stadium: Hanghai Stadium Attendance: 19,628 Referee: Gan Shuran Assistant referees: Luo Zheng Assistant referees: Wang Xihong Fourth official: Sun Shengyu
Stadium: Workers' Stadium Attendance: 50,583 Referee: Jin Jingyuan Assistant referees: Ma Ji Assistant referees: Hu Chengjun Fourth official: Shan Dan’ao
Guoan joined the competition in the fourth round on 22 June. All rounds are single-elimination games. Guoan was eliminated on 22 August in the quarter-finals following an away loss to Shanghai Shenhua.
Numbers in parentheses represent games where both goalkeepers participated and both kept a clean sheet; the number in parentheses is awarded to the goalkeeper who was substituted on, whilst a full clean sheet is awarded to the goalkeeper who was on the field at the start of play.
Source: Only competitive matches = Number of bookings; = Number of sending offs after a second yellow card; = Number of sending offs by a direct red card.
↑ Upon joining Beijing Guoan, the player became a naturalised Chinese citizen[88]
↑ Player became a naturalised Chinese citizen before joining Beijing Guoan[89]
↑ The match was played behind closed doors following Chinese FA's closure of the Qingdao Hainiu stadium for two matches due to the club's disciplinary violations[102]
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References
↑ Zhang, Kunlong (2024-01-02). "国安重新集结先练体能 新援到队外租球员回归"[Guoan Regroup for Training Camp, New Transfers Arrive and Loanees Return]. Sina. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
1 2 "高天意告别国安：三年绿军生涯一晃而过 去尝试新挑战"[Gao Tianyi Bids Farewell to Guoan: Three Years in the Green Flew By, Ready for a New Challenge]. Sina Sports (in Simplified Chinese). 5 January 2024.
↑ Zhou, Xiao (2024-02-01). Wang, Chunqiu (ed.). "国安再现一天两赛模式，续约张玉宁、李可等6名球员"[Guoan Plays 2 Games in One Day, Zhang Yuning, Li Ke and Others Extend Contract]. Sina Sports (in Simplified Chinese). Archived from the original on 2024-02-01. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "北京国安官宣：古加、林良铭等5名球员加盟"[Beijing Guoan Announces Transfer of Guga, Lin Liangming and 3 Other Players.]. Sina Sports (in Simplified Chinese). 14 February 2024.
↑ "苏亚雷斯：放弃姜祥佑非常困难 选择阿德本罗是因其特点无法替代"[Soares: Difficult to Give Up Kang Sang-Woo, Chose Adegbenro Due to Irreplaceable Qualities]. www.163.com (in Simplified Chinese). 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
↑ "中超-张玉宁百场破门杨立瑜点射 国安客场2-0沧州开门红"[CSL: Zhang Yuning Scores on His 100th Appearance and Yang Liyu Converts Penalty, Guoan Win 2–0 at Cangzhou]. Sohu Sports (in Simplified Chinese). 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
1 2 Zhang, Kunlong (2024-03-06). "聚焦｜国安官宣姜祥佑解约离队 重返K联赛未来两天将有定论"[Focus: Guoan Announces Kang Sang-woo Departure, May Return to K-League Soon]. www.163.com. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
↑ "中超-法比奥错失空门+进球被吹 泰山轮换阵容0-0国安"[CSL: Abreu Misses Open Goal and Had One Ruled Offside, Rotated Taishan 0–0 Guoan]. Sohu Sports (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 2024-03-09.
↑ "中超-法比奥倒钩制胜 国安客场1-0三镇三轮不败"[CSL: Abreu Bicycle Kick for Victory, Guoan Away 1–0 Wuhan Three Towns and Three Matchdays Unbeaten]. Sohu Sports (in Simplified Chinese). 30 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
↑ Yang, Tianying (2024-04-04). "北京国安为去世女球迷杨雪保留终身座位"[Beijing Guoan to Keep Seat in Perpetuity for Deceased Fan]. Sina Sports (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 2024-04-04.
↑ "大冷门！张稀哲点射何宇鹏送点 国安1-2深圳赛季首败"[Shocker! Zhang Xizhe Scores Penalty and He Yupend Concedes Penalty, Guoan 1–2 Shenzhen and Suffers First Loss of the Season]. Sohu Sports (in Simplified Chinese). 9 April 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
↑ "中超-张玉宁路易斯破门何宇鹏染红 申花1-1国安无缘6连胜"[CSL: Zhang Yuning and Luis Score and He Yupeng Sees Red, Shenhua 1–1 Guoan and Ends 5-Game Win Streak]. Sohu Sports (in Simplified Chinese). 13 April 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
↑ "中超-恩加德乌李可破门 国安4-1十人西海岸主场首胜"[CSL: Ngadeu-Ngadjui and Li Ke Scores, Guoan 4–1 Victory against Qingdao West Coast for First Home Win of the Season]. Sohu Sports (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 2024-04-21.
↑ "空场比赛2场、罚款20万 青岛海牛遭中国足协重罚"[2 Games Behind Closed Doors and 200,000 RMB Fine for Qingdao Hainiu] (in Simplified Chinese). 15 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
↑ Zhang, Kunlong (2024-07-13). "风暴眼 | 1比5太丢人！国安要求苏亚雷斯教练组立即整改"[Eye of the Storm: 1–5 was Humiliating! Guoan Demand Soares and Coaching Staff of Immediate Change]. www.163.com (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 2024-07-13.
↑ "空场比赛2场、罚款20万 青岛海牛遭中国足协重罚"[2 Games Behind Closed Doors and 200,000 RMB Fine for Qingdao Hainiu] (in Simplified Chinese). 15 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
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The tifo made by Guoan fans in the Workers' Stadium ahead of the August 4th match against old rivals Shanghai Shenhua
Players gathering in the match against Shanghai Shenhua
Players after an away draw against Qingdao West Coast
Guoan players in the Workers' Stadium in the August 16th game against Zhejiang
