After getting 3-0 up, the Lion City Sailors almost threw the lead away after going down to 10 men, and prevented Muangthong from completing a comeback at the Thunder Dome Stadium in Thailand in the first leg of their Asian Champions League round-of-16 clash on 13 February.
The Sailors walked away with a 3-2 victory and will now need to hold off the Thai side in the return leg.
The Sailors stunned many with a strong start on foreign turf, taking the game to a Muangthong side that was third in the 16-team Thai top flight with a goal from Shawal Anuar inside of 20 seconds.
They added two more goals before the break and looked to be cruising through Maxime Lestienne and Bart Ramselaar.
But football loves a twist.
In the 52nd minute, Sailors midfielder Song Ui-young was shown a red card for an elbow on Muangthong’s Siradanai Phosri.
With the Sailors down to 10 men, Muangthong smelt blood.
Muangthong forward Melvyn Lorenzen headed in their first goal just four minutes later, outjumping Sailors’ first-choice goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud.
Izwan’s night ended in the 77th minute after a head injury forced him off, leaving Zharfan Rohaizad to guard the goal.
Rohaizad kept his cool until the final minute of 10 added minutes, when Muangthong’s Tristan Do ghosted into the box to head in their second.
Still, the Sailors clung to their lead with the determination of a team on a mission.
“We played very well, the first half was amazing from us,” Sailors’ Maxime Lestienne told The Straits Times.
“Second half, with 10 men, was difficult and we don’t know if he (Song) deserved the red card, but we can be proud of how we fought till the last minute together,” he said.
The Sailors return home for the second leg at Jalan Besar Stadium on 20 February, carrying a slender advantage.
They’ll need all their grit and resilience to secure their place in the last eight–but if their performance in Thailand is anything to go by, they should be more than ready.
PHOTOS: LION CITY SAILORS