The high-profile 2016 Chinese Super League first meeting between current league leaders and five-straight defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao FC and last season's runners-up Shanghai SIPG FC ended in a 1-1 draw in a match held at the Tianhe Stadium on Sunday.

Guangzhou and Shanghai both started the match tentatively on offense as the two teams were unable to score a goal during the first half.

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Brazilian midfielder Ricardo Goulart finally broke the deadlock three minutes after the hour mark of the contest with a goal off an assist by Guangzhou's resident striker Gao Lin, as per Soccerway.

However, the lead did not last long as the Red Eagles' Ivorian striker Jean Evrard Kouassi, who is the only scoring threat available for head coach Sven-Göran Eriksson during the match, netted the equalizer just seven minutes later via a nice cross from teammate Wang Shenchao.

Shanghai Daily reported that three of SIPG's five imports were sidelined during the match. Argentine midfielder Dario Conca was suspended for accumulating too many yellow cards while former Guangzhou striker Elkeson of Brazil was not allowed to play due to a clause in his contract which prohibits him to do so. Ghanaian forward Asamoah Gyan is still sidelined by injury.

Meanwhile, World Cup-winning manager Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad is in full force, except for the absence of their big winter signing, Colombian striker Jackson Martinez, who is rumored to be headed to AC Milan this summer.

Even with having an apparent stronger lineup, playing at home, and controlling the ball for much of the match, Scolari's boys were still not able to pull off the win. Guangzhou had 23 shots on goal as compared to only nine for Shanghai, but the visitors were able to stave off a loss and salvage a draw that made them share a point in the overall standings with the defending champs.

The tie snapped Guangzhou Evergrande's nine-game winning streak, although the Southern China Tigers remain unbeaten in their last ten outings after the team's sorry 1-2 loss to Chongqing Lifan during their season opener in March.

TagsChina Football, Chinese Super League, Chinese Super League 2016, Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao FC, Shanghai SIPG FC