Familiar foes Sydney FC and Yokohama F.Marinos did battle on matchday four in the AFC Champions League and it was Kevin Muscat’s men who came out on top 3-0.
A two-goal first half fuelled F.Marinos, who were the superior side throughout the contest in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Monday.
After back-to-back wins over Sydney, F.Marinos top Group H on nine points from four games, two points ahead of Jeonbuk Motors, who are due to play later on Monday.
Isuzu UTE A-League outfit Sydney have two points from their four fixtures, with the Sky Blues all but out of the running for the knockout rounds.
KEEPUP followed along LIVE to bring you all the goals, highlights, up to date scores and biggest talking points from the AFC Champions League on Monday.
AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: YOKOHAMA F.MARINOS 3-0 SYDNEY FC
87′ Goal 3-0: Lopes puts the result beyond doubt
Sydney’s defence is carved open as F.Marinos net a third goal with three minutes of regulation remaining.
Tomoki Iwata bursts into the penalty box and picks out an unmarked Lopes, who makes no mistake from close range.
That’s the Brazilian’s fifth goal since joining F.Marinos at the start of the season.
85′ Erratic Redmayne almost punished
There is a collective gasp as Sydney goalkeeper rushes off his line and into no-mans land.
The questionable decision gifts F.Marinos an opportunity but the ball strikes the post.
64′ F.Marinos down to 10 men
Confusing scenes as the commentator scrambles to find out whether an F.Marinos players has been sent off.
Eventually it’s confirmed Ryotaro Tsunoda is sent off for Muscat’s men.
58′ Another opportunity goes begging for the Sky Blues
That’s two chances in as many minutes for Sydney, who are starting to put F.Marinos’ defence under some pressure.
Patrick Yazbek breaks the offside trap and leaves his opponents in his wake but the midfielder’s attempt flashed wide of the post.
57′ Sydney waste their best chance
It’s been a long night, so it’s important for Sydney to take their opportunities.
Kosta Barbarouses bursts through on goal but unselfishly, the Sky Blues forward opts to square the ball to a team-mate.
However, it’s picked off by F.Marinos and the chance goes to waste.
55′ F.Marinos within a whisker of making it 3-0
Sydney have started the second half better but F.Marinos remain a constant threat.
Some nice footwork from Anderson Lopes tees up Nishimura, whose effort rolls agonisingly wide of the post.
Half-time: Marinos take two-goal lead into the break
F.Marinos have had it all their own way in the opening 45 minutes against Sydney.
Goals from Yuki Saneto and Takuma Nishimura have F.Marinos poised to move top of the group, at least until Jeonbuk Motors play later.
Sydney head coach Steve Corica has a lot to ponder at the break as he looks to spark a comeback.
25′ Sydney stop the bleeding… for now
Sydney didn’t know what hit them during the opening 11 minutes.
But fortunately for the A-League Men team, they’ve managed to keep F.Marinos at bay, preventing the Japanese powerhouse from adding to their lead.
Sydney, though, are still yet to register a shot on target.
11′ Goal 2-0: Muscat’s men strike again
Muscat overhauled his line-up after the quick turnaround and his XI are putting Sydney to the sword early on.
Takuma Nishimura joins in the action with a well-taken individual goal – the former CSKA Moscow midfielder’s sublime turn creating space before he fired low and hard beyond Redmayne.
The Sky Blues have an uphill battle now.
6′ Goal 1-0: F.Marinos draw first blood
It took F.Marinos 80 minutes to break the deadlock against Sydney on Friday but they waste no time tonight.
Kevin Muscat doesn’t show much emotion as F.Marinos strike first through veteran defender Yuki Saneto – part of 10 changes to the starting XI.
No body picks up Saneto, who drifts into the six-yard box and heads past Andrew Redmayne.
1′ And we’re underway!
Sydney’s history with F.Marinos
The Sky Blues and F.Marinos are meeting for the second time in three days but their history dates back to Ange Postecoglou’s spell in Yokohama.
Before Postecoglou left F.Marinos for Scottish giants Celtic at the start of 2021-22, he oversaw 2020 ACL fixtures against Sydney.
In February that year, F.Marinos cruised to a 4-0 win on matchday two in Yokohama before the two sides played out a 1-1 draw behind closed doors in Qatar amid the COVID-19 pandemic in December.
Can the Sky Blues open their account?
It is a must-win fixture for Steve Corica’s Sydney FC.
Having draw two of their opening three group-stage matches, the Sky Blues need maximum points to stand any chance of progressing from Group H.
They face another stern test against Yokohama F.Marinos, who edged Sydney on Friday.
And there is a strong Australian vibe to this showdown once again, with former Socceroo Kevin Muscat, Shaun Ontong and ex-Adelaide United captain Ross Aloisi part of F.Marinos’ coaching staff.
