Sydney FC has made it anything but a happy homecoming for ex-Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou with a shock 2-1 win over Celtic at Allianz Stadium.
Despite being without being their four World Cup players – Socceroos midfielder Aaron Mooy, Japanese attacker Daizen Maeda, Croatian fullback Josip Juranovic and England-born American representative Cameron Carter-Vickers – the Scottish champions had been expected to cruise to victory in the opening match of the Sydney Super Cup.
However, someone forgot to tell the Sky Blues that causing an upset wasn’t a part of the script on Thursday night.
Watch the world’s best footballers every week with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. LIVE coverage from Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Carabao Cup, EFL & SPFL. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Sydney coach Steve Corica was delighted with his team’s performance, particularly in the first half.
“That was some of the best football we’ve played all season,” Corica told Network 10.
“I’m very proud of them.”
Postecoglou said the Sky Blues were deserving of their victory.
“We looked like we were a bit off it tonight. Credit to Sydney … but it wasn’t the way we wanted to perform,” he said.
“There was good goalmouth action from both teams but Sydney just looked sharper than us.”
Socceroos embracing underdog status | 01:09
Signs of a potential boilover were evident early, with the Sydneysiders defying their ordinary A-League form by taking the game to Postecoglou’s Celtic.
Shunned Socceroo Rhyan Grant forced a good save out of Celtic’s Swiss goalkeeper Benji Siegrist, playing ahead of first-choice custodian Joe Hart in the 10th minute.
The Sky Blues then hit the crossbar twice within the space of six minutes.
Slovakian import Robert Mak, who played against the Hoops last season in the Europa League for his former club Ferencváros, smashed the ball into the woodwork in the 16th minute.
Soon after it was the turn of another of Sydney’s imports, English winger Joe Lolley, to be foiled by the bar.
Celtic made the most of the Sky Blues misfortune, taking the lead in the 23rd minute through Japanese striker Kyogo Furuhashi. who, with his chest, guided a shot from Argentine teammate Alexandro Bernabei.
However, Sydney’s response was almost immediate, with Mak equalising three minute with a calm finish past Siegrist after outpacing Celtic defender Stephen Welsh.
Celtic made a host of changes at the start of the second half, with the substitutes including Portuguese star Jota, who helped add spark to the Hoops’ attack.
But try as the might, the Scottish champions could not find a go-ahead goal, although had VAR been in operation, they would have been awarded a penalty in the 50th minute for a handball offence from Sydney midfielder Max Burgess that was missed by referee Alex King.
Burgess went from potential villain to hero on the hour mark with a brilliant left-footed finish that was too good for Siegrist.
It proved to be enough, with Celtic’s search for a face-saving equaliser in the remaining half an hour proving fruitless.
Postecoglou’s men will be desperate to hit back hard when they meet English Premier League club Everton on Sunday at Accor Stadium.
