Defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande beat Tianjin Teda 2-0 in the 21st round of 2016 Chinese Super League (CSL) on Tuesday.
The 21st round, which had been scheduled to be contested on the weekend, was brought forward to give the national team more time to prepare for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
Evergrande broke the deadlock in the 24th minute through Paulinho. Brazilian striker Ricardo Goulart scored his eighth goal of the season in 53rd minute to put Guangzhou 2-0 up.
The victory allowed Evergrande to remain top of the league standings, while Teda's six-game unbeaten streak was ended.
