Analysis: China play wide and take risks to beat Qatar

Despite Qatar enjoying the lion’s share of possession, it was China who produced more clear-cut opportunities than their hosts on the night.

Marcello Lippi’s side played to their strengths of pace and power in wide areas to send in 28 crosses into the Qatar area, with two sizeable targets in Xiao Zhi and Gao Lin providing a considerable aerial threat.

Width key to Chinese attacking strength

China caused Qatar problems throughout, with the majority of their chances created in wide areas. Lippi employed a system which saw left-back Li Xuepeng, later Jiang Zhipeng, allowed to roam forward at will with right-sided colleague Zhang Linpeng often tucking in to maintain defensive numbers.

On the right, width was instead provided by winger Yu Hanchao. Between Yu and his colleagues who occupied the left-back berth, five chances were created from wide — with a further four offered from wide by striker Xiao Zhi. In all, 79.7 percent of China’s attacking play came from the flanks.

With Gao Lin, a natural centre-forward, playing from the left and cutting infield to allow his full-back to overlap, Xiao was allowed to roam from the centre of the pitch — albeit it was he who showed natural striker's instinct to pull China level on the night.

If they had shown better composure in front of goal, China could have scored yet more from their substantial tally of crosses—of which an impressive 35.6 percent were successful—on the night.

Qatari pace keeps China honest

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Despite Qatar enjoying the lion\u2019s share of possession, it was China who produced more clear-cut opportunities than their hosts on the night.

Marcello Lippi\u2019s side played to their strengths of pace and power in wide areas to send in 28 crosses into the Qatar area, with two sizeable targets in Xiao Zhi and Gao Lin providing a considerable aerial threat.

Width key to Chinese attacking strength

\n\n

On the right, width was instead provided by winger Yu Hanchao. Between Yu and his colleagues who occupied the left-back berth, five chances were created from wide \u2014 with a further four offered from wide by striker Xiao Zhi. In all, 79.7 percent of China\u2019s attacking play came from the flanks.

With Gao Lin, a natural centre-forward, playing from the left and cutting infield to allow his full-back to overlap, Xiao was allowed to roam from the centre of the pitch \u2014 albeit it was he who showed natural striker's\u00a0instinct to pull China level on the night.

If they had shown better composure in front of goal, China could have scored yet more from their substantial tally of crosses\u2014of which an impressive 35.6 percent were successful\u2014on the night.

Qatari pace keeps China honest

", "headline": "Analysis: China play wide and take risks to beat Qatar", "description": "Kuala Lumpur:\u00a0China overcame Qatar 2-1 in Doha\u00a0on Tuesday\u00a0evening to end their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign with a morale-boosting victory, although it would not be enough to propel them into a play-off berth.\r\n", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "url": "https://www.the-afc.com/", "name": "the AFC" }, "image": "https://assets.the-afc.com/migration/v/7/v7aahf8g3pfacpdimjxa.jpg", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "datePublished": "2017-09-07", "url": "www.the-afc.com/en/national/fifa_world_cup/news/analysis_china_play_wide_and_take_risks_to_beat_qatar.html" }