Marquee man strikes for Sydney FC
Sydney FC has set up a likely AFC Champions League Two quarter-final date with South Korean club Jeonbuk after beating Thai outfit Bangkok United 5-4 on aggregate in a thrilling round-of-16 battle.
Scores were locked at 2-2 heading into Wednesday night's second leg in Thailand, where a brilliant extra-time strike from Brazilian star Douglas Costa sealed Sydney a 3-2 win.
'Overall I'm pleased with the effort and the energy of the players to get the result over here and get to the next round,' Sky Blues coach Ufuk Talay said.
Awaiting Sydney in the quarter-finals is almost certain to be Jeonbuk, who take a 4-0 lead into its round-of-16, second-leg clash against Thai club Port on Thursday night.
The two-legged quarter-finals take place next month, with Sydney the away team for the first leg.
However, it seemed it was going to be Bangkok United heading into the last eight, with the Sydneysiders – who were without injured striker Patryk Klimala (groin) and ill midfielder Anas Ouahim – trailing 2-1 deep into Wednesday night's contest before Adrian Segecic scored an 88th-minute equaliser.
The lads gave 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 in humid conditions last night 🥵A famous result in our history 💙#WeAreSydneypic.twitter.com/fOxSJxlPiK
— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) February 19, 2025
Earlier, English winger Joe Lolley had given Sydney the lead in just the second minute.
Muhsen Al-Ghassani then equalised for the hosts in the 18th minute, with Bangkok taking the lead with a 64th-minute goal from Mahmoud Eid.
Segecic's late goal ensured extra time was required to decide the contest, with Costa showing his class with a superb left-footed strike in the 99th-minute sinking the Thai club, who had been reduced to 10 men following the second-half dismissal of midfielder Thitiphan Puangchan.
'We just made everything very difficult for ourselves,' Talay said.
'In the first leg we should have been comfortable, (and it was) a similar story this evening.
'We were quite comfortable, then we conceded, and then we conceded a second soft goal.
'The decision-making could have been better at that moment … (but) I'm pleased in the end with the result.'
The Sky Blues will fly straight to Perth for Saturday night's A-League match against the Glory at HBF Park.
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