At the end of Guoan's 6–1 home victory against Shandong Taishan on 19 April
Light show in Workers' Stadium ahead of the match against Henan on 25 April
Fang Hao celebrating his goal against Henan on 25 April that proved to be the difference between the two teams
Summary
Pre-season
On 10 December 2024, Guoan announced that head coach Ricardo Soares had left the club. [1] On the same day, the club appointed Quique Setién as head coach for the 2025 season. [2] Setién said that he would like the team to play possession-based attacking football, and that he believed that the team should not be 20 points behind league leaders as it was in the 2024 season. [3]
The team began a two-week pre-season training in Kunming starting on 15 December, with players out on loan returning to participate as well. [4] Newly appointed head coach Setién was not present during this phase with training instead being led by assistant coach and Spanish former beach soccer player Ramiro Amarelle. [5]
On 21 December 2024, Guoan suffered a temporary transfer ban from FIFA that prohibited incoming player transfers pending the result of certain financial disputes. [6] The ban was lifted on 30 December 2024 following the resolution of the financial dispute, and Guoan was free to continue player transfer activities. [7]
On 27 December 2024, Guoan played a training match in Kunming against Shandong Taishan's U-18 team. As the opponent was much younger, Guoan played with a 10-man team. Guoan won 4–0 with two goals from Yan Yu and one each from Wang Ziming and Fang Hao. [8] The training camp officially concluded on 28 December 2024. [9]
News reports on 31 December 2024 confirmed that the club had signed a 2-year contract extension with Zhang Xizhe and 1-year extensions with Wang Gang and Chi Zhongguo, respectively. Bai Yang, Nebijan Muhmet, and Cao Yongjing's contracts were also extended by the club. [10] It was also reported that Samuel Adegbenro, Mamadou Traoré, and Zhang Chengdong's contracts would not be extended and that the players had left the club. [11] [12] The club also announced the retirement of long-time captain Yu Dabao and his subsequent transition to youth coaching roles within the club. [13] On 7 January 2025, Li Ke announced his departure from Beijing Guoan after a six-season-long spell. [14] The following day, Shanghai Shenhua announced Li Ke's arrival at the club on a free transfer. [15] Ahead of the season, long-term club youth players including He Xiaoqiang, Ruan Qilong, Ma Yujun, Duan Dezhi, and others also left the club. [16]
Guoan began its second phase of winter training in Haikou on 6 January 2025 under head coach Setién. This phase of training was set to last 21 days with multiple friendlies. [17] [18] The first friendly took place on 14 January against Changchun Yatai, which Guoan won 2–0 through a penalty from Zhang Xizhe and a goal from Jiang Wenhao. [19] On 17 January, Guoan played its second training camp friendly against China League One club Chongqing Tonglianglong. Abreu, Fang Hao, Zhang Xizhe, and Nebijan helped Guoan to a 4–2 win. [20] On 21 January, Guoan lost 2–3 to Dalian Yingbo in the team's third training match. Abreu and an opposition goal put Guoan up in the first half, but the team conceded three in the second half after rotating. [21] Guoan won its fourth training match, played against old rival Shanghai Shenhua, 4–1 thanks to two goals from Fang Hao and one each from Feng Boxuan and Zhang Yuning. Former Guoan player Gao Tianyi scored Shenhua's lone goal. [22] Guoan's last training match before the team's Lunar New Year break took place on 26 January against Nantong Zhiyun. Lin Liangming scored the lone goal, with Guoan winning 1–0. [23]
On 30 January, Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir announced that Chinese center-back Wu Shaocong was leaving the Turkish side and joining Beijing Guoan. [24] The club announced 3 more midfield transfers to Guoan on 2 February: Serginho from Changchun Yatai, Dawhan from Gamba Osaka, and Li Ruiyue from Shanghai Jiading Huilong. [25]
The team regrouped on 1 February and traveled to Thailand to begin its third phase of winter training. [26] Guoan lost the first training match in Thailand against Hwaseong FC, a K League 2 club, 1–2 on 4 February. [27] Guoan played fellow CSL team Shenzhen Peng City on 8 February in its second training match and won 4–2. Abreu scored all four goals for Guoan. [28] On 13 February, Guoan tied Thai League 1 club Ratchaburi F.C. 1–1 in another training match thanks to a goal from Abreu. [29] Guoan's final pre-season training match took place a day later against China League One side Liaoning Tieren. Guoan drew the game 1–1 with a goal from Zhang Yuning. [30]
On 18 February, the last day of the winter transfer window, Guoan announced the signing of Serbian defender Uroš Spajić from Red Star Belgrade. [31] [32] The transfer came after the club received confirmation that Serginho's naturalization process is completed and he would be registered as a Chinese national. [33]
Guoan's participation in the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two was officially confirmed on 19 February. As a result of finishing 4th in the league in 2024, Guoan would qualify for the competition provided that Shandong Taishan, which finished behind Guoan and could not qualify via its domestic league rankings, did not win the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite. [34] On 19 February, Shandong Taishan withdrew from the group stages of the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite as a result of sustained political controversy stirred by its fans displaying images of former South Korean dictator Chun Doo-hwan and current North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in an AFC Champions League Elite match against K League 1 side Gwangju, cementing Guoan's place in continental competition for the 2025–26 season. [35] [36]
February
Guoan played its first league game of the season on 22 February away from home against newly-promoted side Yunnan Yukun. After a dull first half, Guoan upped the pressure and scored through Abreu in the 53rd minute with Nebijan Muhmet providing the assist. Guoan doubled its lead in the 79th minute as Cao Yongjing deftly touched a rebounded corner. In the 100th minute, Bai Yang was shown a second yellow card and was sent off. Ultimately, Guoan secured its opening match with a 2–0 win. [37]
March
Guoan's second game of the season was played away from home on 1 March against old rivals Shanghai Shenhua. Guoan's new central defense signing Uroš Spajić was named in the starting lineup in his debut for the team. In the 11th minute, Guoan opened the scoring through Lin Liangming's header in a set piece situation. However, after 2 separate Guoan defensive plays were VAR-reviewed, the tide of the match shifted against Guoan. In the 38th minute, Wu Xi leveled for Shenhua after lobbing Guoan's keeper. In the 3rd minute of added time in the first half, a Han Jiaqi mistake gave away a penalty, through which Shenhua gained a 2–1 lead before halftime. Setién made several changes at the half, including debuting Guoan's other center-back signing Wu Shaocong. In the 81st minute, Zhang Yuan, who was substituted on at the beginning of the second half, was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Despite playing a man down, Guoan leveled the game in the 93rd minute with Li Lei crossing the ball for Abreu, whose header ricocheted into the net after hitting the crossbar and then against the back of Shenhua's keeper Bao Yaxiong. The game ended in a 2–2 draw. [38]
On 15 March, Guoan played a training match against Qingdao Hainiu to keep players sharp during the international break. Guoan won 2–1- with Fang Hao scoring a double. However, Wang Gang suffered a broken rib and Zhang Yuan a muscle strain in the match, resulting in both players being sidelined. He Yupeng was also injured around the same time, having fractured his foot in training. [39] [40]
On 17 March, Serginho, now known in Chinese as Sai Erjini'ao, was officially called up by the Chinese national team ahead of a World Cup qualification match against Saudi Arabia, confirming his naturalization as a Chinese player. [41]
On 19 March, Guoan youth player Guo Jiaxuan died at 18 years of age at Beijing's Tiantan Hospital. [42] On 6 February, He suffered a severe training injury in Spain as part of Beijing Football Association's training squad in preparation of the 2025 National Games of China that led to him being pronounced brain dead locally. He was transferred back to Beijing for medical care, but never regained consciousness. [43] [44]
Guoan resumed league competition on 29 March against Chengdu Rongcheng in what was also the home opener of the season. In the 12th minute, Yang Liyu was fouled in the penalty box after dribbling down the left-hand side, and the referee awarded Guoan a penalty after a lengthy video review. Abreu converted the penalty to give Guoan a 1–0 lead. In the second half, Ngadeu stepped on a Chengdu player's foot in an attempt to win back a lost ball, but the foul was deemed too aggressive and he was sent off in the 67th minute. Despite several saves from Han Jiaqi, Guoan was unable to hold the lead and conceded in the 78th minute. The game ended in a 1–1 draw with Guoan slipping to 7th place. [45]
April
A midweek match on 2 April followed the draw against Chengdu Rongcheng, with Guoan travelling to play Tianjin Jinmen Tiger. In the 5th minute, Spajić was knocked unconscious after colliding with an opposition player in an aerial duel, and was taken off in replacement by home-grown youngster Fan Shuangjie for his first appearance of the season. In the 27th minute, Li Lei received a cross from Dawhan and slotted the ball into the net, giving Guoan a 1–0 advantage. Later on in the first half, Guoan goalkeeper Han Jiaqi made two crucial saves to keep Guoan ahead. In the 70th minute and the 78th minute, Tianjin's Xie Weijun and Xadas each assisted Alberto Quiles for two goals in quick succession, and the game was turned on its head as Guoan handed Tianjin a 2–1 lead. In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, Yang Liyu's cross looped into Tianjin's penalty area, and Tianjin centre-back Yang Fan headed the ball into his own net, with the own goal leveling the game at 2–2, which finished as the full-time score, as Guoan fell to eighth place. [46] Spajić has since regained consciousness.
Guoan returned home to play Zhejiang on 6 April. In the 21st minute, Cao Yongjing's shot from outside the box was blocked by Zhejiang defenders, but the ball fell to Abreu, who finished from a tight angle to give Guoan a 1–0 lead. Abreu's goal was Guoan's 900th goal at home. [47] In the 56th minute, Abreu sent in a cross from the right wing, and Zhejiang defender Leung Nok Hang sent the ball into his own net in an attempt to intercept the cross, doubling Guoan's lead to 2–0. Han Jiaqi and Zhejiang's goalkeepers eachmade repeated saves, and the game ended with a 2–0 Guoan win. Guoan extended its unbeaten streak to five games, and the win helped the team move up to fifth place in the standings, two points behind the league leaders. [48]
With the game against Qingdao West Coast postponed due to high winds, Guoan's next game came on 15 April at Wuhan Three Towns, against which Guoan suffered a late collapse. Guoan started the game well as Guga assisted Abreu for a goal in the 3rd minute. Zhang Yuning scored his first goal in almost a year in the 22nd minute thanks to an Abreu through ball. In the 31st minute, Wuhan's Palacios scored from outside the box and halved the deficit. In the 34th minute, Guga's corner found Sai Erjini'ao, who headed it into the net for his first Guoan goal and extending the lead to 3–1. Guoan's lead grew to 4–1 in the 69th minute, with Yang Liyu tapping in Abreu's attempt to lob the goalkeeper. However, Guoan could not maintain defensive solidity, giving away three goals from the 87th minute onward including a penalty, and the game ended in a 4–4 draw. Han Jiaqi and Dawhan were injured in the game and had to be substituted. [49] After the game, the club confirmed that Han suffered a serious ACL injury as well as a meniscus tear in his left knee. [50] He was expected to be unavailable for the rest of the season.
Beijing Guoan's injury-riddled line-up v Shandong Taishan, 19 April 2025
Guoan returned home to play Shandong Taishan on 19 April. The team was hobbled by injury ahead of the game as Han Jiaqi, Ngadeu, Spajić, and Dawhan all had suffered recent injuries and were unavailable for the match. Youngster Fan Shuangjie started at defensive midfield. Only 4 minutes into the game, Hou Sen's mistake allowed Shandong's Zeca to score the opening goal, putting Guoan 0–1 behind. Guoan responded quickly with Abreu scoring a header from a Zhang Yuning cross in the 15th minute to level the game at 1–1. In the 25th and 37th minute respectively, the referee deemed Shandong players Wu Xinghan and Zeca to have committed serious fouls, and sent off both players, giving Guoan a two-man advantage before halftime. Guga capitalised on the advantage in the 4th minute of the first half's added time, scoring his first goal of the season and sending Guoan 2–1 up. In the 47th minute, Sai Erjini'ao scored Guoan's third, and Abreu doubled his tally in the 52nd minute to give Guoan a 4–1 lead. Cao Yongjing was sent off in the 59th minute for fouling the opposition player as the last man, leaving Guoan with 10 men against Shandong's nine. Zhang Yuning scored from the top of the box in the 76th minute, and Zhang Xizhe scored in the 91st to seal the game for Guoan at 6–1. Zhang Xizhe's goal meant that he scored for Guoan for 16 consecutive seasons, and new signing Li Ruiyue debuted in the 81st minute. [51] Abreu was later awarded player of the matchday by CSL. [52]
On 25 April, Guoan hosted Henan at home. In the 28th minute, Fang Hao dribbled into space and launched a shot into the net to give Guoan a one-goal lead. Zhang Xizhe was given a red card in the 88th minute after a VAR review for his late tackle on a Henan player, increasing Guoan's seasonal red card tally to 5 in just 8 games. Guoan's 1–0 win extended the team's streak without defeat to 8 games. [53]
Guoan in action in April 2025
May
Guoan traveled to play defending league champions Shanghai Port on 1 May. In the 20th minute, Guoan's on-field captain Wang Gang was withdrawn for Wu Shaocong due to an injury sustained in a defensive action. In the 40th minute, Shanghai Port took the lead after Liu Ruofan scored a header from a corner. Guoan managed to equalize only 2 minutes later, with Abreu slotting home a deflected Lin Liangming shot. In the 55th minute, Lin Liangming cut in from the left wing and curled the ball into Shanghai Port's far corner, giving Guoan a 1–2 lead. Chances occurred for both teams, but neither team was able to score again. With the 1–2 away victory, Guoan replaced Shanghai Port in 3rd place on the league table and remained undefeated for the season. [54]
The club announced that it had extended Ngadeu's contract to the end of the 2025 season on 4 May, ensuring he could continue to be a part of the team's defense. [55]
On 5 May, Guoan continued its away journey against Dalian Yingbo, which remained undefeated at home at the time, at the newly constructed Suoyuwan Football Stadium. Setién rotated slightly, nominating Zhang Yuan and Wang Ziming for their respective first starts of the season. In the 18th minute, Wang Ziming rewarded Setién's choice by heading in a Guga cross to give Guoan a 1–0 lead. In the 22nd minute, Abreu headed in a deflected Wang Gang cross, sending Guoan up 2–0. In the 90th minute, Zhang Yuning was fouled by Dalian players in the box that resulted in a penalty for Guoan. However, his attempt was saved. Guoan ended the game with a 2–0 victory, extending its win streak to 4 games. [56] The game also extended Guoan's undefeated streak to 19 games across this and the 2024 season, the longest such streak in the team's history. [57]
Guoan defended its home ground on 10 May against Shenzhen Peng City. In the 28th minute, a Sai Erjini'ao cross from the right flew across the entire Shenzhen defense and found Lin Liangming, who headed it in for a 1–0 lead. Ahead of the half, Guga's backheeled assist set up Sai Erjini'ao, who struck the bottom left corner from outside the box to put Guoan 2–0 up. In the 48th minute, Shenzhen's Dugalić pulled one back after his header from a corner broke through Hou Sen's defense. In the 71st minute, Guga scored off a corner rebound, sealing the game for Guoan at 3–1. The team remains undefeated this season and extended its winning streak to 5 games. [58]
On 17 May, Guoan traveled to play Qingdao Hainiu. The clubs drew 0–0 at the half. In the 52nd minute, Lin Liangming opened the scoring for Guoan by heading in a rebound of a Ngadeu header that hit the post. However, Guoan were unable to maintain its advantage, falling to a 94th minute Hainiu header from Liu Jinshuai. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. While Guoan maintained its third place in the league table, its gap to the leader was extended to 6 points, though Guoan has a game in hand. [59]
Guoan began this season's Chinese FA Cup campaign on 21 May, traveling to play China League One side Shijiazhuang Gongfu. Guoan's first three goal came from set pieces. In the 16th minute, Zhang Yuan's corner found the head of advancing Dawhan. In the 30th minute, Wang Ziming latched onto Nebijan's corner and scored from the edge of the penalty area. In the 57th minute, Zhang Xizhe scored in his 400th match in all competitions for the club from a direct free kick, which was given as an opposition player was sent off for a bad foul. [60] In the 68th minute, Zhang Yuan scored as Fang Hao set him up from the left side. 8 minutes later, Li Lei's cross from the left allowed Wang Ziming to score his second. The game ended as a 5–0 Guoan victory and Guoan advanced to the fourth round of Chinese FA Cup. [61]
Guoan in action in May 2025
Restart at the Pudong Football Stadium after Guoan scored its second goal against Shanghai Port on 1 May
Zhang Yuning's penalty attempt was saved by Sui Weijie in the match against Dalian Yingbo on 5 May
Guga and teammates celebrating the team’s second goal against Shenzhen Peng City on 10 May
Captain Zhang Xizhe readies a corner in his 400th Guoan appearance on 21 May
June
After the June international break, Guoan resumed its league campaign at home on 14 June against Changchun Yatai, which was being coached by the previous Guoan trainer Ricardo Soares. Ahead of the game, fans unveiled a massive tifo celebrating captain Zhang Xizhe's achieving 400 outings across all competitions for the club – he was only the third players to have done so for Guoan, following Xu Yunlong and Yang Zhi. [62] Zhang, who was named in the starting eleven for the first time this season, scored in the 17th minute after Changchun's keeper mistakenly kicked the ball directly to Zhang. Cao Yongjing doubled Guoan's lead in the 25th minute thanks to an Abreu assist. In the 88th minute, Changchun's He Yiran sent a throughball to Tan Long, who pulled one back for Changchun. Guoan ended the game with a 2–1 victory, putting the club only 3 points behind league leader Shanghai Shenhua with a game in hand. [63] Li Lei, who came on as a substitute in the 83rd minute, reached 200 appearance with the club across all competitions. [64]
On 17 June, Guoan played Qingdao West Coast at home after the inclement weather during matchday 6 forced the game to be rescheduled. Ahead of kick-off, Guoan fans hosted a light show commemorating Li Lei reaching 200 appearances for the club. [65] In the 23rd minute. Dawhan headed a corner towards Ngadeu, who redirected it towards West Coast's goal. The ball hit the goalpost and rebounded into the net after hitting West Coast's goalkeeper Li Hao, allowing Guoan to establish a 1–0 lead. Neither team made inroad in the second half, and the game remained 1–0 until the end. The win extended Guoan's undefeated run to 14 games and elevated Guoan to 1st in the league standings after 14 matchdays. [66]
Guoan traveled to face off against Dalian Yingbo on 21 June in the fourth round of the Chinese FA Cup. Setién opted to rotate the team, starting Li Lei, Zhang Xizhe, and a number of substitutes. The first half saw Guoan overpowered, and in the 43rd minute Hou Sen brought down onrushing Cephas Malele for a penalty, which Malele converted and put Guoan 0–1 behind. Guoan brought on starters in the second half. In the 62nd minute, Dawhan put the ball into the net from a Li Lei cross, but VAR review ruled that Wang Gang used his hand to control the ball in an instance during the early build-up, and the goal was ruled out. In the 90th minute, Sai Erjini'ao assisted Zhang Yuning to score in a chaotic situation to bring Guoan level at 1–1. Neither team managed to score in extra time. In penalties, Guoan's Abreu and Guga missed the first and third penalty while Dalian's Malele and Isnik Alimi missed their first and fifth penalty. Both teams scored in the next two rounds. In the 8th round of the shoot-out, Nebijan scored first for Guoan while Hou Sen saved the shot from Liu Yi, giving Guoan a 6–5 victory in penalties and sending Guoan through to the quarter-finals of the competition. [67]
Guoan continued its away trip against Meizhou Hakka on 25 June. In the 20th minute, a Guga cross found the foot of Abreu, who tapped it in for a 1–0 Guoan lead. In the 45th minute, Spajić notched a Sai Erjini'ao cross towards Abreu, who finished for his second of the game and put Guoan 2–0 up at halftime. In the 54th minute, Cao Yongjing deftly slid the ball through Meizhou's defense for a rushing Fang Hao, who finished for Guoan's third. Abreu completed his hat-trick in the 69th minute when he tucked in Zhang Yuan's through ball into the far corner of Meizhou's goal. With the 4–0 win, Guoan remain undefeated in the front half of the league campaign and notched first place at the halfway mark of the league season. [68]
Guoan's last game in June came on 30 June at home against Yunnan Yukun. In the 29th minute, Guoan's defensive errors allowed Ye Chugui to put one past Hou Sen, sending Guoan a goal down. Three minute later, Abreu was brought down in the opposition penalty area and the referee awarded a penalty, but VAR review canceled the spot kick. In the 55th minute, Sai Erjini'ao's cross found Zhang Yuning, who headed it goalwards for Abreu to finish, leveling the game at 1–1. In the 81st minute, Zhang Yuning was brought down by Yunnan's Duan Dezhi, a former Guoan academy player, in the penalty box. Zhang Xizhe calmly converted from the spot, giving Guoan a 2–1 lead that would be held to the end. Guoan remained undefeated for the season and retained top of the league on goal difference after 16 matchdays. [69]
Guoan in action in June 2025
Tifo celebrating Zhang Xizhe's 400th appearance for the club ahead of the match against Changchun Yatai on 14 June
Tifo celebrating Zhang Xizhe's 400th appearance for the club on 14 June with extended fan illustrations
Captain Zhang Xizhe and teammates celebrating his goal against Changchun Yatai on 14 June
Guoan players during the match against Qingdao West Coast on 17 June
July
On 18 July, Guoan announced the permanent signing of Nanjing City goalkeeper Zhang Jianzhi, who was given the number 39 shirt. [70]
On 19 July, Guoan faced off against rivals Shanghai Shenhua in the league at home. Going into the match, Guoan previously held a record of twelve consecutive home wins over Shenhua, and Guoan and Shenhua were respectively first and second place in the league table. Before the game, Guoan supporters held up a tifo of Nezha, Deshengmen, and text reading "Beijing Cheng". In the 7th minute of the match, Shenhua player Gao Tianyi swung in a cross for Shenhua debutant Luís Asué to finish home with a header, putting Shenhua 1–0 up early in the game. In the 20th minute, João Carlos Teixeira received a pass from Asué in space, however, his effort was wide of the post. In the 21st minute, Shenhua's Wilson Manafá provided a long ball for Wu Xi, who made his way past the defending Spajić and slotted the ball in the bottom corner, as Shenhua doubled their lead and made it 2–0 away from home. In the 26nd minute, Guga scored from a direct free-kick, halving the deficit, making the scoreline 1–2. After the break in the 82nd minute, substitute Yu Hanchao scored a tap-in, however, the goal was ruled out by VAR. In the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time, Yu Hanchao broke through the Guoan defence and finished it off in the bottom corner, putting the game to wraps at 3–1. With this win, Shenhua overtook Guoan in the league table, and while Guoan find themselves in second place, Shenhua have taken the top position of the table. [71]
Three days later on 22 July, Guoan traveled to play Qingdao West Coast in the Chinese FA Cup quarter-finals. Guoan rotated slightly, bringing on Wang Ziming, Chi Zhongguo, Zhang Xizhe, and Li Lei into the starting lineup. The first half saw Zhang Yuning exit after an injury, but the scoreline remained 0–0. In the second half, West Coast's He Longhai misplaced his backpass to the keeper in the 51st minute, allowing Wang Ziming to intercept and score to give Guoan a 1–0 lead. West Coast tied quickly, though, in the 62nd minute through Abdul-Aziz Yakubu. The game entered extra-time as the teams drew 1–1 after regulation. In the 116th minute, Cao Yongjing latched onto an Ngadeu pass, dribbled past defenders, and thumped the ball into West Coast's goal to give Guoan a 2–1 lead. However, Davidson's header which caused a deflection onto Nebijan's head levelled the game for West Coast in the 119th minute through a set piece, sending the game to penalties. In penalties, West Coast's Yakubu and Matheus Índio missed the first two spot kicks, allowing Guoan to ultimately win the shootout 4–2. With the victory, Guoan was through to the competition's semi-finals and would face Yunnan Yukun in August. [72]
Guoan's last game in July came away against Chengdu Rongcheng. Despite winning only 1 in the last 5 games, Chengdu quickly seemed the stronger team, creating shots and testing Hou Sen. In the 33rd minute, De Erjiaduo scored inside the penalty box through a set piece situation to give Chengdu the 1–0 lead. Setién made a number of personnel changes in the second to little avail, and De Erjiaduo assisted center-back Timo Letschert for Chengdu's second. The game ended in a 0–2 Guoan defeat and marked the first game in the season in which Guoan failed to score, sending the team down to 3rd place. [73] This game represented a noticeable dip in Guoan's form after the summer break, winning none of the 3 matches played and suffering 2 consecutive defeats in the league. [74]
August
On 2 August, Guoan announced that defender Uroš Spajić suffered an ACL injury in his right knee in the game against Shanghai Shenhua, potentially sidelining him for the rest of the season. [75]
Guoan hosted rivals Tianjin Jinmen Tiger at the Workers' Stadium on 3 August. In the 20th minute, coordination error from Guoan's backline allowed Tianjin's Alberto Quiles to round Hou Sen and give Tianjin the 1–0 lead. Guoan responded in the 43rd minute with Dawhan heading a Sai Erjini'ao corner into the far side of the net, drawing the game at 1–1 before the break. In the 52nd minute, Tianjin's Albion Ademi's shot hit the post, and Quiles reacted to rebound the ball into Guoan's net, sending Guoan down 2–1. Abreu pulled Guoan level again in the 70th minute, heading in a Nebijan cross. The game ended in a 2–2 draw, and Guoan slipped to 4th place in the table, having been on a three-game winless streak. [76]
Guoan traveled to Huanglong Stadium to face off against Zhejiang on 10 August. In the 21st minute, Guoan conceded first as Hou Sen struggled to keep out a header from Lucas. Guoan responded in the 24th minute with Dawhan setting Guga for a long-range goal to tie the game at 1–1. In the third minute of added time for the first half, Zhejiang regained their lead through a counter attack finished off by Alexandru Mitriță. Returning from the half, Zhejiang's Wang Yudong used his speed to send Guoan 1–3 down in just the 46th minute. In the 54th minute in a play similar to Guoan's first goal, Sai Erjini'ao set up Cao Yongjing for a shot from outside the penalty area to reduce Guoan's deficit down to one goal. In the 60th minute, Zhejiang's Cheng Jin was shown a red card after VAR review for reckless foul. 5 minutes later, Guoan tied the game via Abreu, who bumped into the goal the rebound from his own header. Guoan edged ahead in the 77th minute with Abreu nodding a Nebijan cross down for Wang Ziming to score. [77] The game ended in a 4–3 Guoan victory, the first in 4 matches, and allowed Guoan to remain only 3 points behind league leaders Shanghai Shenhua.
The 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two group stage draw took place on 15 August. Guoan was drawn into Group E and set to play Tai Po FC, Cong An Hanoi FC, and Macarthur FC, with the first game set to be played on 18 September. [78]
Guoan played Qingdao West Coast away on 16 August on matchday 21. Setién opted for a four-at-the-back formation and started 19-year old Li Ruiyue for the first time in his Guoan career. In the 39th minute, Abreu headed in a Yang Liyu cross from the right to give Guoan the 1–0 lead. Guoan scored two more headers through Lin Liangming and Abreu in the 80th and 85th minute, both assisted by Zhang Xizhe. In the 11th minute of added time, West Coast's Davidson was fouled in the penalty box by He Yupeng, and Davidson converted the penalty to pull one back for Qingdao West Coast. [79] The game ended with a 3–1 away victory for Guoan, allowing Guoan to leapfrog Chengdu into third place in the league, two points behind league leaders Shanghai Port.
On 20 August, Guoan hosted Yunnan Yukun at home in a Chinese FA Cup semi-final tie. In the 26th minute, Abreu scored the opener for Guoan. Five minutes later, Yunnan Yukun's Andrei Burcă was sent off with a direct red card. Taking advantage of ten-men Yunnan Yukun, Guoan scored two more goals with Wang Gang, with his first of the season, and Guga, before half-time. In the second half, Lin Liangming added a fourth to Guoan's tally, before Jiang Wenhao returned to the pitch after a long recovery from his ACL injury in January 2025. With his first involvement in the game, Jiang scored a outside-the-box wonder-strike in the 70th minute. Zhang Xizhe and Zhang Yuning topped off the scoreline to 7–0 as Guoan cruise to the 2025 Chinese FA Cup final after a seven-year absence. [80] [81]
On 25 August, Wuhan Three Towns visited Beijing Guoan at the Workers' Stadium. In the 29th minute, Abreu was tripped in the penalty box, and the foul was given as a penalty. Abreu himself fired Guoan into the lead in the 32nd minute. Before half-time, Sai Erjini'ao received a cross from Cao Yongjing, and doubled Guoan's lead in the sixth minute of added time. In the 53rd minute, Guga put a cross in from a free-kick, and Lin Liangming headed home to make the score 3–0. In the 61st minute, Lin Liangming dashed on the left flank to pull back a low cross, which Zhang Yuning finished off. With this 4–0 home victory, Guoan jump to second place, only one point behind league leaders Shanghai Shenhua. [82]
Guoan traveled to play Shandong Taishan on the last day of the month in a game reported later in the media as a disaster for Guoan. Shandong's Valeri Qazaishvili capitalized on an earlier mistake from Chi Zhongguo, scoring the opener in the 15th minute. He added his second in the 22nd minute, chipping the ball past Hou Sen. Qazaishvili completed his hattrick in the 43rd minute originating from another Chi Zhongguo mistake, and Guilherme Madruga made it 4–0 for Shandong right before the half. Guoan failed to respond, allowing Qazaishvili and Madruga each to score once again. [83] The 6–0 defeat was Guoan's worst league defeat in history. After the game, Guoan slipped to 4th in the league standings, 2 points behind leaders Chengdu Rongcheng. [84]
September
Guoan's away journey continued on 12 September against Henan. The team apologized ahead of the match for their poor performance in the previous outing, but was unable to put a dent in the team's sliding form. In the 40th minute, Henan took the lead first via Zhong Yihao. In the 84th minute, Bai Yang committed a foul in Guoan's penalty area, and Felippe Cardoso converted the resulting spot kick for a 2–0 Henan lead. Guoan was unable to score, concluding the game with a 0–2 away defeat. While the team maintained fourth place in the standings, it sat five points behind league leaders at the end of matchday 24. [85]
18 September saw Guoan return to continental competition after 4 years, hosting V.League 1 club Cong An Hanoi FC in the club's first match of 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two group stage at the Workers' Stadium. Guoan rotated significantly, debuting Nureli Abbas at goal. Cong An's Vitão opened the scoring in the 15th minute as Nureli failed to deflect the incoming shot away from goal. Chi Zhongguo leveled for Guoan in the 49th minute, striking from distance a ball headed down by Zhang Yuan for his first goal of the season. Zhang Yuan pulled Guoan ahead in the 65th minute, capitalizing on Cong An's goalkeeping mistake from outside the box. In the 73rd minute after a scramble in the Guoan penalty area, Nureli's goalkeeping mistake allowed Cong An's China to level the score. Guoan youngster Wei Jia'ao debuted in the game as well, coming on as a substitute for Zhang Xizhe. The match ended in a 2–2 draw. [86] [87]
Guoan's woeful form continued on 21 September at home against Shanghai Port, a direct competitor for the league title. Guoan conceded in the 7th minute as Leonardo capitalized on a careless moment from Ngadeu. Before halftime, Guoan was able to level the game through a penalty from Abreu. In the 51st minute, however, Leonardo would score again. Leonardo completed his hattrick in the 79th minute, sending Guoan 1–3 behind at home. Zhang Xizhe pulled a goal back for Guoan in the 86th minute, but the team was unable to turn the game around. Guoan ended the game with a 2–3 defeat, its third consecutive loss in the league and its fourth without a win in all competitions. With 5 games to go and a 6-point gap to league leaders, media reports suggested that Guoan was likely out of contention for the league titles this season. [88]
Guoan hosted Dalian Yingbo at home on 26 September, hoping to end the losing streak. In the 29th minute, Zhang Xizhe's delicate movement helped Sai Erjini'ao assist Abreu to give Guoan a 1–0 lead. In the 35th minute, Sai Erjini'ao scored after wading through the opposition's defense, putting Guoan 2–0 ahead. Zhang Xizhe assisted Abreu for Guoan's third in the 53rd minute. Dalian pulled two goals back in the 54th and 56th minute respectively, but Guoan responded with Abreu completing his hat-trick in the 77th minute. With a 4–2 victory, Guoan ended its losing streak but remained 4th in the league table. [89]
