Football
2020 AFC Champions League, Group Stage
SIPG 
0
FT
 SYD
4
AAP 3y

Goalkeeper injury mars Sydney FC win in Asian Champions League

Sydney FC beat Shanghai SIPG 4-0, pulling off an upset in the second last match of their Asian Champions League campaign in Qatar.

The Sky Blues' decisive victory -- the side's first in this ACL campaign -- was marred by the loss of goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic in a clash of heads with SIPG's Yu Rui on Tuesday.

Pavlesic's injury in just the third minute of play meant he was replaced by Tom Heward-Belle.

Sydney FC dominated the near entirety of the first half, imposing themselves in an attacking manner and coming under only occasional threat from the Chinese Super League side.

Sydney FC captain Alex Wilkinson latched onto a Rhyan Grant nod on from a corner to head home from close range in the 28th minute, giving the Sky Blues a deserved lead.

Five minutes later, Luke Brattan found the top corner of the net with a solid driven effort from 20 metres out.

Two goals within four minutes from Trent Buhagiar in the second half sealed the victory for coach Steve Corica's side.

It was a night of firsts with Wilkinson and Brattan both notching their first ever Sydney FC goals while Buhagiar became the club's equal leading all-time goalscorer in the competition, joining Steve Corica and Alex Brosque on the charts with four goals each.

Despite the win on Tuesday, Sydney FC remain at the bottom of Group H and unable to advance to the next stage.

They will complete their campaign with a game against group leader Yokohama F. Marinos on Friday afternoon local time (9pm AEDT) and fly back to Sydney that night.

The Sky Blues will be in hotel quarantine for 14 days but have received an exemption allowing them to train during that period ahead of the new A-League season.

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