The Singapore Premier League has paused for the international break with plenty to chew on. Lion City Sailors are on a six-match winning streak, Young Lions finally have a win, and Geylang International remain top after the Eastern Derby ended goalless. Here is how Matchweek 6 played out.
Sailors brush aside Balestier at Bishan
The defending champions were in ruthless mood on 1 November, beating Balestier Khalsa 4-0 at Bishan. Shawal Anuar struck first with a cool finish shortly after the half-hour, and Antonio Mance made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 37th minute.
The substitutes then took over. Matthias Phaeton added a third in the 81st minute after combining with fellow replacement Giovanni Haag, and Phaeton then set up Lennart Thy, who clipped the ball over the onrushing Mario Mustapic in the 85th minute. It was Thy’s first SPL appearance since 17 May last season.
The numbers are heady. Sailors have now won six in a row in all competitions, four of them in the league. They are the first side this season to reach 20 SPL goals, and Phaeton and Mance have four goals each. It is a hot streak that began with a 6-1 win over Young Lions and has not cooled. Our Lion City Sailors 5-0 Adelaide United report shows the same ruthless form in the AFC Champions League Two.
Jaguars and White Swans share the spoils
Matchweek 6 began with real drama at Jurong East on 30 October. Seiya Satsukida put FC Jurong ahead on 49 minutes with a sublime effort from the edge of the box, set up by Mizuki Ando. Shunsuke Ono was then sent off after a VAR review ruled he had fouled Anaqi Ismit outside the area, so the penalty became a free-kick.
Tanjong Pagar poured forward and levelled in the 90+10th minute when Lee Jaeyong turned Samuel Pillai’s cross into his own net after goalkeeper Firman Nabil, on his Jurong debut, spilled it. Riku Fukashiro thought he had won it, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside. Tanjong Pagar had ended a seven-game losing run against Jurong in all competitions.
Young Lions finally break through
The longest wait in the league ended at Bishan on 31 October. Young Lions beat Hougang United 2-0, with Hisatoshi Nishido scoring twice, in the 5th minute with a curler into the top corner and again in the 73rd after skipping past three challenges. It was the youngsters’ first win in 11 matches, having last claimed three points on 10 April last season.
Hougang had two goals ruled out by VAR, and Miyu Sato dragged a penalty wide for the Young Lions, which tells you how tight it was. Hougang remain winless, with one draw and five defeats. Nishido’s brace was also his first in the SPL.
Eastern Derby ends all square
The big Sunday-night clash at Our Tampines Hub finished 0-0. Syazwan Buhari made a series of important saves for Tampines, while Ryoya Taniguchi’s 36th-minute goal was ruled out for offside. At the other end Milos Cupic denied Takeshi Yoshimoto and Hide Higashikawa with a late double save in the 84th minute.
That kept Geylang on top heading into the break, although they have played a game more than both the Sailors and Tampines. It was Geylang’s second goalless draw in six matches this season, and Tampines extended their unbeaten run against them to nine games in all competitions.
Sailors’ strength in depth
It is worth noting how Mark Jackson’s side did it. Hariss Harun captained the team, Ivan Susak started in goal, and the changes at half-time and on 66 minutes turned a comfortable lead into a rout. Substitutes Phaeton, Haag and Thy all had a hand in the late goals, while Bailey Wright and Mance made way at the interval. Sailors have also won six straight meetings against Balestier, their last defeat to the Tigers coming on 14 May 2025.
What next for the Singapore Premier League?
The league returns after the break, and the standout fixture is Sailors against Geylang at Jalan Besar, reported for 22 November. If Sailors win with a game in hand, the title picture could change quickly. The national side also leans on SPL talent, as our Lions squad story showed, with ten Sailors called up for the Paraguay and Brazil friendlies.
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