Guoan announced a 1-year contract extension for manager Bruno Génésio on 5 December 2019, confirming that he would remain for the start of the 2020 season.

The team regrouped on 3 January 2020 and headed to Murcia for the first pre-season training camp in hope of gaining fitness and match preparedness.

[8] Asian Football Confederation also changed AFC Champions League schedule with Guoan playing first two group stage games away from home.

[11] On 18 February, Wang Ziming scored the sole goal in the opening game of the season, putting Guoan 0–1 past Chiangrai United in both teams' first match in the AFC Champions League group stage.

Li Ke, who was on break in Los Angeles, returned to China and underwent the mandatory 14-day coronavirus quarantine before joining the team in Kunming.

Hou Yongyong and A Lan, although naturalized and allowed to return, faced travel difficulties as the number of international flights are greatly reduced.

[23] Hou Yongyong and A Lan landed in China on 11 May and 14 May respectively and began their mandatory quarantine per Chinese government regulations.

On 5 June, Guoan defeated Tianjin TEDA 5–0 in a friendly with goals from Wang Ziming, Zhang Yuning, Jin Pengxiang, and a brace from A Lan.

[42] Augusto and Fernando landed in Shanghai on 7 July aboard a club-chartered plane, while manager Bruno Génésio completed his quarantine requirement and joined team training.

[46] On 11 July, Guoan won 6–1 against Shanghai Jiading with A Lan and Zhang Yuning each scoring a brace along with goals from Wang Ziming and Ba Dun.

[51] In the Chinese Super League season opener on 26 July, Li Lei and Piao Cheng netted a goal each to secure a 1–2 victory against Chongqing Lifan despite Yang Fan's red card in the 25th minute.

[57] On 16 August, Guoan gave up the three goal lead courtesy from Bakambu, A Lan and Hou Yongyong and was only able to manage a 3–3 draw against Qingdao Huanghai.

A Lan scored in the 24th minute to give Guoan an early lead, but Guo Quanbo received a red card for his goalkeeping against an opposition free kick taken quickly.

[62] 6 September saw Guoan concede two after leading through goals from Bakambu and Zhang Yuning, resulting in a 2–2 draw against Wuhan Zall.

[63] Guoan kept its first clean sheet in eight rounds in the 10 September match against Tianjin TEDA, winning 2–0 as Zhang Yuning and Augusto netted ond in each half.

[64] On 15 September, Guoan signed Bosnian center back Toni Šunjić from Russian club Dynamo Moscow.

[65] On the same day, Guoan led Hebei China Fortune 3–1 at the 88th minute with goals from Augusto, Bakambu and A Lan, but only managed to produce a 3–3 draw at the final whistle.

A Lan failed to convert the penalty from an opposition handball in the box but managed to score the rebound, tying the game just before halftime.

[71] On 30 September, Guoan announced that new signing Toni Šunjić would be loaned out to Henan Jianye for the remainder of the season due to registration regulations of the CSL.

Before the halftime whistle blew, Wang Gang went to ground in Guangzhou's penalty area, but the Korean referee Kim Hee-gon deemed that there was no foul.

[80] 7 November saw Guoan play against Shanghai SIPG to determine the final league table in the first leg of a two-leg 3rd and 4th place play-off.

Wang Gang fought his way through inside the penalty box after Zhang Xizhe's long cross-field pass found him, and fed Bakambu for the Guoan lead in the 26th minute.

Hou Sen made a series of outstanding saves to deny Shanghai SIPG of further chances, and the game ended in a 1–1 draw.

Viera opened the game in just 9 minutes, putting the ball past the opposition goalkeeper from a Wang Gang cross.

[87] In the 8th minute of the game, Ling Zhongyang floated a cross into the box, and with Li Boxi as a dummy attracting the attention of the opposition defender, Xie Longfei was able to produce a clean finish giving Guoan the 1–0 lead.

[89] 30 November saw Guoan win its fifth straight group stage game in the AFC Champions League against FC Seoul.

Opposition striker scored in the 89th minute, but Zhang Yuning sealed the game in the 93rd as he rounded the goalkeeper and put the ball into the empty net.

[91] Guoan played its last group stage game in the AFC Champions League on 3 December against Chiangrai United.

Guoan had the chance to win the game in stoppage time when a penalty was given against the opposition, but A Lan hit the post with his shot.

[38] The Championship and Relegation stage consists of three rounds of home and away games against different opponents to determine the final league ranking.