Sydney FC end ACL campaign with disappointing draw vs. Yokohama

Sydney FC will turn their full attention to the A-League after their Asian Champions League campaign concluded with a 1-1 draw against Ange Postecoglou's Yokohama F Marinos.

Trent Buhagiar became the Sky Blues' top scorer in the ACL when he equalised on 29 minutes, after Yuki Saneto had given the 2019 Japanese champions the lead in the 18th.

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Former Socceroos boss Postecoglou made 11 changes to the team that sealed Yokohama's progress to the knockout phase earlier this week.

Yet they still dominated proceedings on Friday night in Qatar, although Sydney did create enough openings to take all three points in what was effectively a dead rubber.

The result left Sydney bottom of Group H on five points while Yokohama topped the section on 13 points.

Photo by Mohamed Farag/Getty Images

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Saneto volleyed home from a corner after he was left unmarked at the back post to give Yokohama a lead they deserved.

But the scores were level just before the half-hour when Alexander Baumjohann escaped his opponent around the halfway line and played an inch-perfect through ball to Buhagiar.

He outpaced his opponent and kept his composure to slot the ball past the goalkeeper from the edge of the box for his fifth strike of the campaign.

Buhagiar, 22, went past his coach Steve Corica and Alex Brosque as top goalscorer for Sydney in the ACL.

The Sky Blues will fly home for 14 days in hotel quarantine but have received an exemption allowing them to train during that period in the lead-up to their A-League title defence, which commences at home on Dec. 30 against Melbourne City in a rematch of last season's grand final.

Postecoglou's team will face either China's Guangzhou Evergrande or South Korea's Suwon Bluewings in the round-of-16.