SINGAPORE- The Lion City Sailors came back from a goal down to get their Singapore Premier League (SPL) title defence off to a winning start on Sunday evening (Feb 27) with 3-1 victory over Hougang United at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The Sailors have spent millions to beef up their ranks since becoming the first football club here to be privatised in 2020, but Hougang has proved to be a tough opponent in recent campaigns.

In 2020, Hougang held Sailors to a draw before going down 3-1 in the return fixture.

Last season, the Cheetahs took the most number of points off the Sailors with a 3-1 win and a 1-1 draw, and the Sailors' only defeat last year came against them.

But the champions were determined to mark their opening game with a win, especially after last season's runners-up Albirex Niigata suffered a shock 2-0 loss to Tanjong Pagar on Friday.

But it was Hougang who struck the first blow, as forward Pedro Bortoluzo gave the Cheetahs an early lead in the seventh minute. Sahil Suhaimi prodded the ball onto the Brazilian's path just outside the box and Bortoluzo unleashed a fierce left-footed drive that nestled into the net.

The Sailors replied in the 23rd minute, making the most out of South Korean forward Kim Shin-wook's 1.98m frame. A free-kick just outside the box from Shahdan Sulaiman found Kim unmarked, as he put away his header for his first league goal of the season to add to his brace in last Saturday's Community Shield win over Albirex Niigata.

The hosts then brought on their S$2.89 million man Diego Lopes in the second-half and cranked up the pressure in search of the winner. In the 63rd minute, they almost got it but it was Pedro Henrique who saw his shot come off the crossbar after he found space in the box.

But three minutes later, the home side made it count. Hafiz Nor was released down the left flank and cut the ball back for the underlapping full-back Iqram Rifqi, who tucked it away to give the Sailors the lead.

Belgian winger Maxime Lestienne was also handed his debut for the Sailors, replacing Iqram in the 80th minute.

The free transfer from Belgium top flight side Standard Liege made an immediate impact six minutes after coming on, finding Lopes in the box after a quick breakaway and the Brazilian attacker slotted in to make it 3-1.

The Sailors will next face Geylang International at Our Tampines Hub on Friday (March 4) while Hougang take on Tanjong Pagar at the Jurong East Stadium on Sunday.

Analysis

While it is clear that the Sailors have an abundance of depth in their ranks, Hougang are the closest in the SPL in terms of matching that.

But having the luxury of options comes the difficulty of using them wisely.

The Sailors got it right with theirs - Hafiz Nor, Maxime Lestienne and Diego Lopes who came on as substitutes were all involved in their team's goals in the second period. The Cheetahs shaded the first half against the Sailors but still chose to make two substitutions at half-time as they brought on Brazilian midfielder Andre Moritz and Lions midfielder Zulfahmi Arifin for Shahfiq Ghani and Sahil Suhaimi respectively.

This, despite the fact that Shahfiq and Sahil had held their own against the Sailors during the first 45 minutes.

With coaches being allowed to make five changes, up from the three last season, substitutions will be extra critical this season, as Hougang found out on opening day.