Super Eagles forward Odion Ighalo was shut out by a rampaging Shanghai SIPG side during a 4-0 drubbing of ten-man Shanghai Greenland Shenhua in the opening day of the 2019 Chinese Super League on Friday.
Ighalo, making his competitive debut for Shenhua was on for the entire duration of the Shanghai derby but could do nothing to prevent Quique Sanchez Flores side being annihilated by the defending champions.
Vitor Pereira-led SIPG took the lead in first half stoppage time when Cai Huikang’s header ricocheted home off Shenhua’s Colombian midfielder Freddy Guarin. The lead was doubled after the hour mark when Lyu Wenjun tapped into an empty net after Shenhua goalkeeper Li Shuai had saved Oscar’s effort.
The Brazilian was however not to be denied twelve minutes to the end when he rounded off a counter-attacking move he started. Oscar’s goal came five minutes after Shenhua’s Bai Jiajun was dismissed for an elbow on the Brazilian.
Uzbekistani star Odil Ahmedov rounded up the scoring two minutes from time as Ighalo and his teammates came out second best in all areas against an SIPG side who were without their most prized asset Hulk.
Shenhua’s next game comes up in nine days time, another home tie with Hebei Fortune at the Hongkou Stadium in Shanghai.
