AFC Champions League Two
The Sailors are the first side from Singapore to qualify for a major Asian final and as they prepare to lock horns with Sharjah FC of the United Arab Emirates, the-AFC.com takes a look at the club's journey to their date with destiny.
Group Stage
The Sailors kicked off their campaign in style, defeating China PR's Zhejiang FC 2-0 at home, thanks to goals from Hariss Harun and Maxime Lestienne.
#ACLTwo | Group F: Lion City Sailors FC (SGP) 2-0 Zhejiang FC (CHN)
That was followed by a battling away draw with Persib Bandung, with Bailey Wright equalising after the Indonesian side had taken the lead through Tyronne.
Even better was to follow as the Sailors scored an impressive 3-1 away win against Thailand's Port FC, with Shawal Anuar scoring twice in three minutes. Song Ui-young netted the third.
Persib Bandung, however, halted the Sailors momentum on Matchday Four, with the Indonesian side coming from two down to walk away from the Jalan Besar Stadium with a 3-2 win.
Another defeat - this time on the road - was suffered against Zhejiang with the Chinese side taking a 4-2 win.
#ACLTwo | Group F : Lion City Sailors (SGP) 5-2 Port FC (THA)
Two losses meant the Sailors had to win their tie against Port FC and they did it in style, registering a 5-2 victory which saw them topping Group F ahead of their beaten opponents on goal difference.
Round of 16
Another Thai side - Muangthong United - were the Sailors' Round of 16 opponents and the Singapore side impressed over both legs.
Goals from Shawal, Maxime Lestienne and Bart Ramselaar saw the Sailors racing to a 3-0 lead by the 27th minute.
Muangthong pulled two back through Melvyn Lorenzen and Tristan Do but there was to be no comeback as the Sailors took firm control of the return leg at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
#ACLTwo | R16, 2nd Leg: Lion City Sailors FC (SGP) 4-0 (7-2 AGG) Muangthong United (THA)
Lestienne scored the first in the third minute, with Ramselaar widening their advantage just before the break.
Shawal then capped the excellent performance by netting a second half brace.
Quarter-finals
It looked to be all over for the Sailors after they suffered a 6-1 defeat to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the first leg of the quarter-finals.
The Japanese side, however, were subsequently found to have fielded an ineligible player with the result awarded 3-0 in favour of the Sailors.
#ACLTwo | QF, 2nd Leg: Lion City Sailors FC (SGP) 1-1 (4-1 AGG) Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN)
That set the stage for a feisty return leg at the Jalan Besar Stadium but the Sailors, despite coming under heavy pressure, took the lead through Lennart Thy in the 20th minute.
Sanfrecce drew level through Yotaro Nakajima but that was to be it as the Sailors advanced to the semi-finals.
Semi-finals
Determined to create history by advancing to the final, the Sailors started the first leg of the semi-finals on the front foot and a superb strike from Ramselaar in the 18th minute put them ahead against Australia's Sydney FC.
Thy matched his teammate's effort with a magnificent strike of his own as the Sailors put one foot in the final.
#ACLTwo | SF, 1st Leg: Lion City Sailors FC (SGP) 2-0 Sydney FC (AUS)
With their hopes hanging by a thread, Sydney FC went for broke in the second leg, peppering the Sailors' goalmouth with shots.
The Australian side registered 29 shots, eight of which were on target but - crucially - only Joe Lolley's 85th minute effort saw the back of the Sailors' net as they became the first Singaporean side to qualify for a major Asian final.
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