Pakistan concluded their Asian Champions Trophy campaign with a commanding 6-1 win against China at Chennai's Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium on Friday, August 11.
From the onset, Pakistan showcased an aggressive stance, pushing forward and putting the Chinese defense under relentless pressure. Their initial attack commenced just 28 seconds into the game but an error by Muhammad Sufyan Khan gave China a temporary sigh of relief.
However, Pakistan's offensive breakthrough came in the 10th minute when Muhammad Ammad capitalized on a rebound from a save by China's Caiyu Wang, following a strike by Ahtisham Aslam. Not letting up, Sufyan showcased his prowess, scoring twice in two minutes with drag flicks finding the top right corner of the goal.
In a splendid play, Abdul Rana facilitated a seamless tap-in for Abdul Hannan Shahid, taking the tally to 4-0 in Pakistan's favor by the end of the first quarter.
China tried to retaliate, with their sole shot on target in the first half coming from Changliang Lin, but Pakistani goalkeeper Abdullah Ishtiaq Khan was ready for the challenge.
The second quarter witnessed Pakistan continuing its offensive maneuvers, albeit with China strengthening its defense. An attempt by Hannan during a penalty corner was deflected by the post, saving China momentarily.
Showing resilience, China struck back in the third quarter with Benhai Chen capitalizing on a defensive error by Sufyan to score. Another potential goal opportunity emerged for China, but a reverse-stick shot by Chen was ruled dangerous, nullifying the effort.
Breaking China's brief momentum, Muhammad Ammad found the net once more in the 52nd minute, followed by Abdul Rana who confidently navigated past Chinese defenders to seal the match with a sixth goal for Pakistan.
Final Score: Pakistan 6 (Muhammad Ammad 10’, 52’, Muhammad Sufyan Khan 11’, 12’, Abdul Hannan Shahid 15’, Abdul Rana 55’) - China 1 (Benhai Chen 35’).
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