Sydney FC Faces Uphill Battle as Sailors Overwhelm Sky Blues in Semi-Final First Leg

Sydney FC face a challenging path to the final of the AFC Champions League Two after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Lion City Sailors in the first leg of their semi-final showdown in Singapore.

The Sky Blues were stunned early on, conceding in the 18th minute when Lion City winger Bart Ramselaar unleashed a spectacular shot from distance that rattled the crossbar before bouncing in, putting the hosts ahead 1-0.

Things went from bad to worse for Sydney when striker Lennart Thy hammered in a powerful shot from a tight angle, catching keeper Harrison Devenish-Meares off guard at his near post, finding the roof of the net for a quick 2-0 lead.

Substitute Adrian Segecic nearly narrowed the gap for Sydney with a strong effort that missed the far post, and in the 81st minute, Devenish-Meares denied Thy’s attempt to extend the lead further.

This result leaves Sydney with a significant challenge heading into the return leg at Allianz Stadium next week, as they aim to secure a spot in the ACL Two final, which would take place at their home ground.

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Competing in the sweltering, humid conditions on an artificial pitch in Singapore, the visitors found themselves under pressure early on when a VAR check was initiated to see if Devenish-Meares had handled the ball outside his area.

No foul was ruled on that occasion, but moments later, the ball was in the net, with Ramselaar collecting it on the left and placing a steady touch before unleashing an unstoppable drive from the edge of the box to put Lion City in front.

Despite maintaining possession in the contest, Sydney FC struggled to create any significant chances, with Brazilian Douglas Costa sending a left-footed free-kick over the bar.

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Unimpressed with the first-half showing from the Sky Blues, head coach Ufuk Talay made a strategic substitution at half-time, introducing the dynamic Adrian Segecic in place of midfielder Corey Hollman.

The second half saw Sydney appear more threatening, forcing dangerous crosses into the box, but before they could capitalise, they found themselves 2-0 down.

Thy exploited space behind the defence, connecting with a lofted pass and, after cushioning it, he delivered a powerful strike past Devenish-Meares and into the net once more.

Desperate to find some momentum, Segecic unleashed a strong shot, but it was well-defended by Socceroo Bailey Wright, who diverted it over the bar.

Segecic, known for his knack for scoring as a substitute this season, came close to pulling one back but dragged a left-footed attempt wide after cleverly combining with Costa and striker Patryk Klimala.

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While Lion City appeared content to defend their lead, they nearly extended it to three when Thy advanced on another pass and, despite surpassing Sydney captain Rhyan Grant, his left-footed shot was superbly saved by Devenish-Meares to keep the deficit at two.

Sydney found themselves in promising positions in the final third but often overplayed, leaving them with a mountain to climb as they head back to Allianz Stadium with a lot of ground to cover before their semi-final second leg on Wednesday, 16 April.