* Goals: Zhongguo 49’, Yuan 65’ – Vitao 15’, Alves 73’

In the 65th minute at Workers' Stadium, Beijing Guoan pressed CAHN in their own half. Under pressure, Nguyen Filip passed the ball directly to an opponent, allowing Zhang Yuan to score with a first-time shot into an empty net, putting Beijing Guoan up 2-1.

Inside the penalty area, Filip yelled at Vitao, suggesting his teammate should have moved back quicker to receive the pass. Other CAHN players showed their disappointment. The costly error came at an inopportune moment, just after CAHN had shifted their attacking strategy by bringing on Alan Sebastiao and Rogerio Alves.

Cong An Ha Noi (in red) drew 2-2 with Beijing Guoan (in blue) in their opening AFC Champions League Two 2025-2026 Group E match at Workers' Stadium, Beijing, on 18/9/2025. Photo: AFC

Cong An Ha Noi (in red) drew 2-2 with Beijing Guoan (in blue) in their opening AFC Champions League Two 2025-2026 Group E match at Workers' Stadium, Beijing, on 18/9/2025. Photo: AFC

This was Filip’s second mistake in international competition. On 20/8, CAHN lost 2-1 to Thai club BG Pathum United. Their second conceded goal came from Chanathip's shot from nearly 40 meters into an empty net after Filip's long pass was intercepted.

CAHN’s first conceded goal against Beijing Guoan came in the 49th minute from an unfortunate deflection. After a scramble in the box, Chi Zhongguo's volley from just outside the penalty area deflected off a CAHN defender and into the right corner, leaving Filip with no chance.

CAHN traveled to China without their captain, Nguyen Quang Hai, due to injury. However, the home side was also missing most of their foreign players for similar reasons. Cameroonian center-back Michael Ngadeu was their only foreign player in the starting lineup, while naturalized Brazilian midfielder Serginho was on the bench.

CAHN dominated the first half with effective counter-attacks, opening the scoring in the 15th minute. The ball moved between Vitao, Leo Artur, and Dinh Bac, before Artur's shot inside the box hit teammate Stefan Mauk. The ball rebounded back to Artur, who laid it off for Vitao to score with a right-footed finish. The ball grazed Chi Zhongguo, changing its trajectory and leaving goalkeeper Nureli Abbas stranded.

Cong An Ha Noi players celebrate Vitao's opening goal (second from right) in the 15th minute. Photo: Cong An Ha Noi FC

Cong An Ha Noi players celebrate Vitao's opening goal (second from right) in the 15th minute. Photo: Cong An Ha Noi FC

The visitors had several more opportunities but failed to convert. In the 22nd minute, Nguyen Dinh Bac's left-footed shot went wide of the left post. Five minutes later, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh's volley from inside the box missed the right post.

Leo Artur missed the most chances. In the 38th minute, Ngadeu lost the ball in midfield, allowing Mauk to run towards the penalty area. The Australian midfielder provided a good pass into the box, but Artur's trademark placed shot lacked the power to beat the Beijing Guoan goalkeeper. In the 47th minute, Artur had plenty of space outside the box but curled his shot wide of the left post. In the 68th minute, the striker hit the right post in a one-on-one situation, wasting a beautiful through-ball from Alan Sebastiao.

Artur had two more chances in the 10th and 11th minutes of added time. Despite his cut-inside and right-footed curler being anticipated, Artur persisted with the same move instead of passing to a teammate.

CAHN’s equalizing goal came from substitute Rogerio Alves in the 73rd minute. After a scramble in the Beijing Guoan box, the Brazilian forward curled the ball into the right corner, beating goalkeeper Abbas.

Tempers flared in the 81st minute. After a collision with Alves, a Beijing Guoan player went down clutching his face, seemingly in pain, then deliberately moved inside to prevent a quick CAHN attack. The incident led to a confrontation between players from both sides. Some objects were thrown from the stands.

Thai referee Wiwat Jumpaoon booked Wu Shaocong and Cao Quang Vinh. After consulting with his assistants, he also booked Stefan Mauk and Wang Ziming. These incidents resulted in 9 minutes of added time in the second half, with the match eventually ending in the 102nd minute.

In the final minutes, CAHN created more pressure on Beijing Guoan. In the 90th minute, Cao Yongjing almost scored an own goal. Two minutes later, Alves attempted an overhead kick inside the box but hit the goalkeeper. In the 100th minute, Le Van Do's clever shot from a left-wing corner went just wide of the right post.

The 2-2 draw leaves Beijing Guoan and CAHN second and third in Group E respectively. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Tai Po FC lead the group after a 2-1 victory over Australia's Macarthur FC.

The second round of matches will take place on 2/10. Tai Po and CAHN will host Beijing Guoan and Macarthur respectively.

Starting Lineups:

Beijing Guoan: Nureli Abbas, Feng Boxuan, He Yupeng, Zhang Yuan, Michael Ngadeu, Fan Shuangjie, Nebijan Muhmet, Yang Liyu, Chi Zhongguo, Zhang Xizhe, Wang Ziming

Cong An Ha Noi: Nguyen Filip, Hugo Gomes, Adou Leygley Minh, Stefan Mauk, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Vitao, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh, Le Van Do, Leo Artur, Le Pham Thanh Long, Dinh Bac.

Hieu Luong