Lion City Sailors came out on top of Thursday’s Malaysia-Singapore causeway clash with a vital 2-0 victory over Kuala Lumpur City FC in a Group B match at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Thursday’s 2024/25 ASEAN Club Championship action.
Singapore powerhouses LCS side broke the deadlock in the 26th minute when captain Bailey Wright scored their maiden goal of the tournament. The lead was doubled midway through the second half by Maxime Lestienne, as LCS picked up their first points in the competition while simultaneously ending Malaysian representative Kuala Lumpur’s perfect record.
LCS’s starting lineup featured four players who had played a key role in Singapore’s run to the semi-finals of the 2024/25 AFF Championship, including Shawal Anuar, who had scored four goals in that tournament. Shawal made his presence felt early, breaking free of the offside trap in the second minute to chase a through ball from Toni Datkovic down the left flank. His low cross caused panic in the Kuala Lumpur defense, with Adrijan Rudovic narrowly deflecting it wide of his own goal.
Dominating possession from the outset, LCS took a deserved lead in the 26th minute. Song Ui-young delivered a pinpoint corner from the left, which skipper Wright headed powerfully into the back of the net at the far post.
The Sailors maintained their dominance, nearly doubling their lead 10 minutes before halftime. Bart Ramselaar’s long-range effort took a deflection off Zhafri Yahya, looping just over the crossbar.
After the restart, Aleksandar Rankovic’s men continued to control the game and came agonizingly close to a second goal in the 64th minute. Hami Syahin found Lestienne in space, and the Belgian unleashed a dipping, curling shot from distance that beat Kuala Lumpur goalkeeper Azri Ghani but struck the crossbar and bounced back into play.
Lestienne didn’t have to wait long to make amends. Minutes later, he picked up the ball 40 yards from goal and executed a brilliant give-and-go with Ramselaar, who slipped the ball into the penalty area. Lestienne calmly chipped the ball over the advancing Azri to double the lead.
Kuala Lumpur, determined to respond, almost halved the deficit with five minutes left on the clock. Kamal Azizi unleashed a thunderous 30-yard strike that beat Izwan Mahbud but rattled the crossbar, denying the City Boys a lifeline as the game ended 2-0 in favor of the Sailors.
LCS will next face Thai giants Buriram United in a pivotal match on 23 January, while Kuala Lumpur will host Vietnam’s Cong An Ha Noi in Kuala Lumpur on the same day.