The 2025/26 ASEAN Club Championship kicked off in style with a glamour clash between Malaysia and Singapore’s premier sides, as Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) hosted the Lion City Sailors (LCS) at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on August 21. Despite both teams boasting star-studded lineups filled with quality, the Sailors were given a harsh lesson by their Causeway rivals, with JDT running out 3-1 winners.
This was the first competitive showdown between a club that has risen from relative obscurity to dominate Malaysian football over the past decade, and a Singaporean side aspiring to chart a similar path toward sustained regional success.
Both JDT and LCS have invested heavily in their squads, combining the best domestic talent with seasoned internationals from Europe and South America. That ambition added further weight to this latest installment of the Causeway Derby, and the stage was set for a true heavyweight contest.
Yet on Thursday night, JDT reminded everyone why they remain the region’s gold standard. With a display that favored efficiency over extravagance, the Southern Tigers opened their Group B campaign with a commanding victory, underlining their continued dominance over their neighbours.
The tone of the evening was set early. By the 16th minute, João Figueiredo had struck twice to put JDT firmly in control. With their pedigree and defensive organization, the hosts rarely squander such advantages, leaving the Sailors facing an uphill climb.
It was not the dazzling, free-flowing football JDT have often produced at home or in the AFC Champions League Elite, where they have gained respect as dangerous underdogs. Instead, coach Xisco Muñoz opted for pragmatism, urging his side to manage the contest smartly with a long season ahead. Once ahead, JDT dictated the tempo, kept possession, and only probed when opportunities naturally arose.
For most of the first half, the Sailors struggled to muster a response. But after the break, Aleksandar Ranković’s halftime tweaks injected urgency into their play. The visitors pushed forward with intent and carved out their first genuine chances. Bart Ramselaar spearheaded the charge — first sending a speculative effort narrowly wide, then bursting into the box with a brilliant turn of pace, only to squander the opening by passing instead of shooting.
Those missed opportunities proved costly. Against JDT, chances come sparingly, and wastefulness is seldom forgiven.
The hosts eventually steadied themselves and sealed the result in stoppage time, with Arif Aiman producing a classy angled finish. Only after that did the Sailors find a consolation, as Shawal Anuar unleashed a thunderous 25-yard drive that was arguably the pick of the night’s goals.
Both sides will again be title contenders in their respective domestic leagues, while also harboring continental ambitions — JDT aiming to make another splash in the ACL Elite, and LCS continuing their quest for progress in the AFC Champions League Two.
Still, Thursday’s clash offered a clear verdict. While the Sailors may be on the rise and inching closer to their Malaysian counterparts, JDT remain the big brother for now — a reality that will stand until the next Causeway Derby writes the rivalry’s next chapter.