Chinese Super League Preview: Meizhou Atolu FC Aims to Escape Relegation Zone at Home, Can Short-handed Beijing Guoan Secure a Double Kill?

On September 20th, the first match of Round 26 of the Chinese Super League (CSL) will see Meizhou Atolu FC host Beijing Guoan. Meizhou Atolu FC is currently in the relegation zone and aims to win at home; Beijing Guoan, currently ranked 4th, will be missing key players such as Zhang Yuning for this away game.

Meizhou Atolu FC has achieved 5 wins, 8 draws, and 12 losses in the first 25 rounds, ranking second last with only 26 goals scored, the third-lowest attack rate in the CSL. In their previous 13 home games, they have won 3, drawn 5, and lost 5, placing them 12th in home performance.

Beijing Guoan has obtained 12 wins, 7 draws, and 6 losses in the first 25 rounds, ranking 4th, 6 points ahead of the 5th place and 9 points behind the 3rd place. In their previous 13 away games, Beijing Guoan has won 4, drawn 5, and lost 5, also ranking 4th in away performance with 16 goals scored and 18 conceded.

The current squad of Meizhou Atolu FC is complete, including all foreign players such as Mari, Morris, Kosovic, Rodrigo, and Conrad who are available for selection. On the other hand, Beijing Guoan’s Zhang Yuning and Li Ke are still suspended, foreign player Ademilson has left the team, and captain Zhang Xizhe did not travel with the team, leaving out about one-third of their starting lineup.

In their recent 7 games, Meizhou Atolu FC has achieved 3 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses, a decent performance for a relegation-threatened team, and all three victories were secured at home, consecutively defeating Nantong Zhiyun, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, and Changchun Yatai. However, there were goals conceded in all three matches.

Beijing Guoan has not won any of their past 4 games, drawing 3 and losing 1, achieving 3 consecutive draws in the CSL and being eliminated from the FA Cup by Shanghai Shenhua. In their away games in the CSL, Beijing Guoan has gone 7 games without a win, only managing 3 draws and 4 losses, with their last away victory coming on April 30th, a 1-0 win against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger.

The two teams have faced each other 5 times in the CSL, with Meizhou Atolu FC achieving 1 win, 3 draws, and 1 loss, level with Beijing Guoan. In the first round of this season, Meizhou Atolu FC led 2-0 but was overturned by Beijing Guoan 3-2, while in the home game last season, Meizhou Atolu FC won 3-1.

Currently ranking second last, Meizhou Atolu FC’s sole aim for this game is to seek revenge and win, hoping to escape the relegation zone. As for Beijing Guoan, their goal at this stage of the season is to maintain their 4th position, and despite an incomplete squad, they will strive to earn points.

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