Fixture Spotlight
Lion City Sailors v Albirex Niigata (S) (Oct 27, 7.30pm, Bishan Stadium)
The Sailors have shaken off their early wobbles and gone on a flawless run in the league, winning four out of four. The league leaders have also scored five goals or more in three of those matches, with reliable winger Maxime Lestienne and last season’s top scorer Lennart Thy both chipping in with four goals apiece.
However, Monday’s clash with the White Swans could present stiffer resistance, as the Sailors’ previous four opponents all reside in the bottom half of the table.
Meanwhile, the White Swans are unbeaten and sit second with two wins and a draw, and despite it being early days, they look like they could mount a title challenge.
Albirex’s top scorer from last season, Shingo Nakano, has picked up where he left off from last season’s 24-goal haul, finding the net four times this term. His combination with midfield maestro Takumi Yokohata (one goal, one assist) has also been a revelation, with Yokohata providing much-needed service and support for the frontline.
Before they transitioned to a localised club, Albirex were often a thorn in the Sailors’ side, notching key wins that derailed their title bids. However, the White Swans have not scored against the Sailors in their last two encounters, while shipping eight goals in the process.
With both sides in fine form and openly declaring their title ambitions, Sunday’s clash provides an early opportunity to lay down a marker.
Balestier Khalsa v Tanjong Pagar United (Oct 24, 7.30pm, Bishan Stadium)
Aside from a 5-0 loss to the Sailors, Balestier have proven a difficult side to beat, having fought back from losing positions in all three of their other league matches.
“We don’t go into a game to defend, we go to score goals,” said Balestier head coach Marko Kraljevic.
The Tigers’ main attacking outlet has been powerful winger Jakov Katusa, who has racked up four assists and proven a constant menace down the flanks. Masahiro Sugita has also been a reliable source of goals from midfield, making well-timed runs into the box to notch two in four matches.
Meanwhile, after two bruising defeats to BG Tampines Rovers and the Sailors, Tanjong Pagar United roared back to life with a 5-1 demolition of the Young Lions, inspired by a four-goal blitz from Spanish forward Youssef Ezzejari.
The Jaguars then turned in a plucky display in their most recent outing, a narrow 2-1 loss to Geylang International, where they were undone by a late Ryoya Taniguchi strike. Brazilian playmaker Bruno Dybal has also been in fine form, scoring in each of his last two matches.
Looking ahead to their next opponents, Marko added, “They’re very aggressive. They go all out and never give up. It’s not easy to play against them. It will be very tough.”
Young Lions v Geylang International (Oct 25, 7.30pm, Our Tampines Hub)
Filling the void left by 44-goal striker Tomoyuki Doi hasn’t been the easiest of tasks for Geylang International, but they will be encouraged to see Ryoya Taniguchi finding his scoring touch of late, with two goals in as many games helping the Eagles to back-to-back wins after an Eastern derby draw and a loss to Albirex.
They’ll be confident of making it three victories on the bounce when they take on a struggling Young Lions side still searching for their first point of the season. Sailors loanee Harry Spence has, however, shown some bright flashes from the wing, offering glimpses of promise despite the team’s poor results.
Hougang United v BG Tampines Rovers (Oct 27, 7.30pm, Our Tampines Hub)
It was a case of “two points dropped” for Tampines Rovers head coach Noh Rahman as his side were punished by Balestier Khalsa’s last-gasp equaliser in a 3-3 draw.
Despite extending their unbeaten run to three games, the Stags remain seven points adrift of the high-flying Sailors and will be targeting all three points against a struggling Hougang United side that has managed just one win in four outings.
Noh remains confident his side will find their rhythm, pointing out that the season is still young.
Managing player workload will be key for Tampines, who are coming off a midweek AFC Asian Champions League Two clash against South Korean giants Pohang Steelers. Several key players, including winger Glenn Kweh, midfielder Shah Shahiran, and defender Irfan Najeeb, were also heavily involved during the recent international break.
“We need to recover from the Balestier game… We need to keep everyone fresh,” Noh said. “It’s about keeping everyone contributing to the squad, so we really need to recover.”
