SINGAPORE: The Lion City Sailors were outclassed 6-1 by Japan’s Sanfrecce in the first leg of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League 2 (ACL2) quarter-finals on Wednesday (Mar 5).
At the Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima stadium, goals from Satoshi Tanaka, Hayao Kawabe, Valere Germain, Sota Nakamura and a Ryo Germain double gave the home side the victory, with a first-half Shawal Anuar strike but a consolation for the Sailors.
They will face Sanfrecce, runners-up in the J1 League last campaign and third in the league this season, in the second leg at the Jalan Besar stadium next Wednesday (Mar 12).
It was the home side who dominated possession from the get go, and they were rewarded for their dominance as Tanaka smashed a shot outside the box past a stranded Izwan Mahbud with what looked like a deflection of a Sailors defender.
They almost doubled their lead a minute later after Bailey Wright was caught in possession, only for Izwan to pull off a brilliant save, as skipper Hariss Harun bravely followed up with a block.
But the Singapore side weren’t going down without a fight as a superb counter-attack off a Sanfrecce corner in the 36th minute was finished off by Shawal Anuar.
