Sports Desk
DALIAN: Henan Jianye rallied to beat Guangzhou R&F 2-1 in the first leg of the Chinese Super League (CSL) playoffs on Tuesday.
Brazilian striker Adrian put the Guangzhou side 1-0 ahead in the 29th minute when he intercepted a pass upfield before firing home a powerful shot.
Feng Boxuan equalized for Hennan Jianye three minutes later with a drive.
Wang Shangyuan hit in the winner in the 70th minute when his long-range shot gave the Guangzhou R&F goalkeeper no chance to save.
Both teams will meet in the second leg of their tie on Sunday, with the winner qualifying for the playoffs for the ninth position of the coronavirus-affected CSL season.
The 16 sides were split into two groups in the first phase between July 22 and September 28, playing in a round-robin format in Dalian and Suzhou.
The top four teams from each group in the first phase gathered in Suzhou to vie for the title between October 16 and November 12.
The remaining eight teams will fight off relegation in Dalian.
Zhou Dingyang (Top) of Henan Jianye jumps for a header during the 17th round match between Henan Jianye and Guangzhou R&F at 2020 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) Dalian Division in Dalian, northeast China’s Liaoning Province.
