The Lion City Sailors battled right till the end, but ultimately fell 2-1 to Bangkok United in a crucial 2025/26 Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two Group G clash at the Bishan Stadium on Thursday (6 November).
Goals from Muhsen Al Ghassani and Luka Adžić put the Thai League 1 side in control, and although Lennart Thy pulled one back late on, Bangkok United held firm to take all three points home.
The result marked the Sailors’ fourth defeat to Bangkok on the ACL Stage, with the Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions losing by a one-goal margin on each occasion.
“I said before the match that one goal will be the difference. Unfortunately, we were on the wrong side tonight,” said Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković. “But honestly, if you look at the whole game, I don’t think we deserved to lose.
“I can’t fault my players; they gave everything. Sometimes, you just have one of those nights where luck isn’t on your side.”
Following Hariss Harun’s dismissal in the reverse fixture in Thailand a fortnight ago — a match that Bangkok United won 1-0 — the Sailors went into this game without their suspended skipper, and also missed Safuwan Baharudin and Maxime Lestienne (both unfit), while Rui Pires marked his 50th appearance for the club in all competitions.
Roared on by the buoyant home crowd, the Sailors made a bright start under the Bishan floodlights, with Anderson Lopes’ header from a corner scrambled clear early on, before Bart Ramselaar tested goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai with a first-time shot on the turn in the 24th minute.
Just five minutes later, the hosts had strong appeals for a penalty waved away after Diogo Costa appeared to be brought down by Teerasil Dangda in the area.
Bangkok United gradually grew into the game, and after Jakkapan Praisuwan’s free-kick was deflected over in the 36th minute, they took the lead in first-half stoppage time.
Weerathep Pomphan’s incisive ball over the top caught out the Sailors’ backline, allowing Al Ghassani to go through on goal before slotting past Ivan Sušak.
“I felt like we were in control for most of the first half. We knew how they liked to attack and how they’d try to hurt us,” said centre-back Bailey Wright. “We just didn’t have the goal to show for our efforts, and they scored from a simple pass. It’s frustrating, but that’s football.”
The Sailors responded well to that setback after the restart, as Anderson went close with a header that drifted narrowly wide in the 49th minute, before Lennart’s firm driven effort towards the far corner was tipped away by Patiwat in the 66th.
At the other end, Toni Datković, who was celebrating his 32nd birthday, did well to deflect Ilias Alhaft’s low shot, before blocking a fierce strike from Thitiphan Puangchan.
“They’re a street-smart team,” admitted Bailey. “They know how to draw those little fouls that break the rhythm and kill the momentum, so it was frustrating for us.”
That frustration deepened in the 83rd minute when Weerathep turned provider again, threading a pass through for Adžić to finish clinically and double the visitors’ advantage.
The Sailors pushed hard to find a way back, and their persistence was rewarded — albeit too late — when Anderson juggled the ball inside the box before it fell kindly for Lennart to sweep home in the 91st minute.
It eventually ended 2-1 in favour of the Thai side, who strengthened their grip on second spot in Group G. The result leaves the Sailors five points adrift with just two matches to play.
“We’re disappointed, and maybe on another night, we could’ve taken something from this game,” said Bailey. “These are the strongest teams in Asia, and this is where we want to test ourselves. We just have to learn and grow stronger from this.”
Despite the setback, Bailey made sure to acknowledge the 2,049 fans who filled Bishan with their unwavering support.
“When we scored, you could really feel everyone behind us, pushing us on. That’s what football’s about,” he shared. “A lot of people from all over the world tune in to watch us, and we just want to entertain them. Sorry we didn’t get the result tonight, but we gave it absolutely everything, and the support really drives us.”
In the group’s later fixture, Malaysia’s Selangor FC let a two-goal lead slip in a 3-2 home defeat to Indonesia’s Persib Bandung, with Adam Alis scoring twice late on.
That result makes qualification even tougher for the Sailors, who now must win both remaining matches, starting with a home clash against Persib on 26 November. They must also hope that other results go their way, in order to stand a chance of qualifying for the last 16.
“Now it’s a very different situation because we don’t have everything in our hands anymore,” acknowledged Ranko. “But we were in a similar spot last season and still bounced back.
“We’ll fight till the end, and if we keep playing with this kind of energy, I believe we can still turn things around.”
