BRAZILIAN duo Paulinho and Elkeson scored as Guangzhou Evergrande won 3-1 at Beijing Guoan in an enthralling clash at the top of the Chinese Super League (CSL) on Sunday.

Evergrande’s 13th victory propels Fabio Cannavaro’s side into a seven-point lead over Beijing.

There are just eight rounds of matches left, and Frenchman Bruno Genesio will need to inspire something special if the team is to overhaul Evergrande.

Cannavaro’s men took just 10 minutes to go ahead. Beijing defender Liu Huan inadvertently headed the ball straight into the path of Paulinho and the former Barcelona midfielder emphatically buried the opportunity.

In a full-blooded affair, Genesio’s side equalized seven minutes later when striker Zhang Yuning cleverly headed the ball into the bottom corner with a deft flick.

There were more chances in the second half and French-born Congolese striker Cedric Bakambu nearly scored a freak goal in the 50th minute for Beijing when he slipped, accidentally clipping the ball over Evergrande goalkeeper Liu Dianzuo.

But the ball struck the inside of the post before bouncing out.

(SD-Agencies)