Shanghai Port Seventh Face Beijing Guoan Second with 5-Point Gap; Wu Mitiang Injured, Muscat Responds Before Shanghai-Beijing Derby

At 19:35 on September 5, 2026, Shanghai Port will host Beijing Guoan in the 26th round of the Chinese Super League. At the pre-match press conference, Shanghai Port head coach Kevin Muscat confirmed for the first time publicly that full-back Wu Mitiang remains in the recovery period after a traffic accident and will not be included in the squad for this round.

This means the young player, who had gradually established himself as a regular wide player in recent league and FA Cup matches, will continue to miss this Shanghai-Beijing derby regarded as one of the most anticipated matches of the season.

Before the match, Shanghai Port had recorded 10 wins, 7 draws and 8 losses after 25 league rounds, collecting 32 points and ranking seventh. They were only five points behind second-placed Beijing Guoan, and a home victory would significantly close the gap with the top group.

Beijing Guoan's record during the same period was 11 wins, 9 draws and 5 losses with 37 points, placing them second in the league. However, because leaders Chengdu Rongcheng had already built a large points advantage, Guoan had effectively lost the theoretical possibility of winning the league title this season.

Starting from a points deduction at the beginning of the season, both teams experienced a slow start followed by improvement.

Beijing Guoan collected only one win, one draw and three losses in their first five rounds, their worst start in club history over the same period. They later adjusted under Montgomery and produced an unbeaten run of four wins and two draws in their last six league matches. Their total goals this season reached 49, second only to Chengdu Rongcheng's 51, showing stable attacking output.

Shanghai Port's recovery curve was even steeper. After once being trapped in the relegation zone during the middle and later stages of the season, the team, with foreign player Gabriel ruled out by a serious injury and attacking midfielder Melendo gradually fitting into the system, recorded four wins and one draw in their last five league matches, securing survival early and climbing back into the upper-middle area of the table.

Three days earlier in the FA Cup quarter-final, Port defeated Shandong Taishan 3-0 away. The team changed to a 3-4-3 formation and produced their most fluent attacking and defensive transition performance of the season, with Liu Zhurun, Ampem and Yang Xi scoring to eliminate traditional powerhouse Shandong Taishan and advance to the FA Cup semi-finals.

In that match, the efficiency of wide-player runs and half-space movements showed the attacking potential of the defending champions again. Wu Mitiang had originally been regarded as one of the strongest options for wide movement in this new system, and his absence directly disrupted Muscat's pre-match rotation plan.

Liu Zhurun, who attended the press conference with Muscat, said he was happy to return to the home stadium. The team had focused on recovery in recent days and was ready to fight for victory.

The young winger scored his first goal in the FA Cup match against Taishan and has clearly regained form recently. With Wu Mitiang absent, he is likely to take on more responsibilities in wide breakthroughs and defensive recovery.

Meanwhile, Beijing Guoan head coach Montgomery said at the pre-match press conference that both teams had experienced a congested schedule with two matches in one week, leaving limited recovery time. After this match, Guoan would immediately begin their AFC Champions League Elite campaign before entering a longer international break.

The two previous meetings between the teams this season have provided clear reference points.

In the March 1 Super Cup, Shanghai Port suffered a 0-2 defeat against Beijing Guoan, trailing 7-11 in shots and 0-6 in shots on target. It was also one of the few matches in Muscat's coaching career where his team was dominated throughout.

Later, in the Round 11 league meeting at Workers' Stadium, the teams battled for 90 minutes before drawing 2-2. Zhang Yuning and Zhang Xizhe scored, and the two teams showed highly similar attacking styles.

Both Muscat and Montgomery previously served as assistants on Ange Postecoglou's coaching staff. Their preference for high pressing gave this derby a clear technical and tactical identity from the beginning.

Guoan are also not at full strength. In stoppage time of their previous match against Dalian Yingbo, substitute midfielder Davan was sent off directly by the referee after making a violent action following an emotional outburst. The Chinese Football Association's additional punishment has not yet been officially announced, and his availability remains uncertain.

Montgomery also confirmed that Spajic, Lin Liangming, Chi Zhongguo and Kongte have all met the conditions to return to training, but the club will not force them to return in this match. In the final two months of the season, the team must balance the AFC Champions League, FA Cup and league schedule, making squad rotation a higher priority than this single league result.

Shanghai Port naturalized defender Jiang Guangtai has been selected for the latest China national team training squad. The defense he leads has kept two consecutive clean sheets recently and is showing signs of improvement.

For Guoan, naturalized international player Serginho has continued to provide stable organization and connection in midfield recently. Their direct matchup on the pitch is regarded as one of the key battles of the match.

In Shanghai Port's previous 1-0 away win over Shenzhen Xinpengcheng, 20-year-old player Kuai Jiwen scored his first professional goal in his 26th CSL appearance. Wu Lei's precise pass near the edge of the penalty area helped the youngster overcome previous criticism over his finishing, and the emergence of young players has clearly strengthened Port's squad depth at the end of the season.

By the final official training session before the match, Shanghai Port had no new injury reports. Wu Mitiang's recovery timetable and specific return date have not been announced, with Muscat only saying at the press conference that he still needs some time to recover.

In the Shanghai-Beijing clash played on the evening of September 5, the final squad list showed Port missing a wide player. They fielded a lineup in strong recent form and aimed for a fourth consecutive league victory.

Beijing Guoan arrived at Pudong Football Stadium with a record of 13 consecutive unbeaten matches across two competitions. After drawing with Yunnan Yukun and Dalian Yingbo in their last two matches, their form had gradually declined from its peak, and the difficulty of earning away points continued to rise under pressure from the AFC Champions League and FA Cup.

According to the announced upcoming schedule, after this match Shanghai Port will host Zhejiang Greentown in the 27th league round on October 9. Beijing Guoan will first begin their new AFC Champions League Elite campaign before entering the international break.

The national team players in both squads have entered consideration for the latest China national team training selection, and their performances in this direct matchup will also affect their final positions in the national team list.

Should a separate tactical supplement on the wide-player rotation plan after Wu Mitiang's absence be prepared?