Lennart Thy scored twice and Belgian winger Maxime Lestienne was also on target as Lion City Sailors FC secured a 3-2 win over Shan United FC in Group B of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ at Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday.
Lion City picked up their first win of the 2025/26 Shopee Cup™ campaign despite a spirited performance by the visitors from Myanmar, who twice battled back to level against their hosts before Thy hit the 68th-minute winner.
The German had put his side ahead in the 23rd minute but Matheus Souza’s penalty five minutes later levelled the scores only for Lestienne to restore his side’s advantage three minutes into stoppage time.
Ryuji Hirota equalised again in the 66th minute but Thy’s clever flick from close range two minutes later secured the points for Lion City, who move onto four points from three matches while Shan United remain at the bottom of the standings without a point.
Lion City had threatened in the opening quarter of the game with Thy heading over the bar while Lestienne smashed his 21st minute shot against Kyaw Zin Phyo’s right post with a well-struck first-time volley.
The home side took the lead two minutes later and it was Thy who struck in devastating style.
Lestienne cut inside from the right and, finding acres of space 40 yards from goal, clipped his pass over the defence to find Thy who, after controlling the ball, thumped his left-foot shot into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
Shan United were gifted the opportunity to equalise when Lion City’s Toni Datkovic handled in the penalty area and Souza stepped up to stroke his spot-kick home, sending Izwan Mahbud the wrong way.
Thy should have restored Lion City’s lead when he glanced his 36th minute header across the face of goal and moments later another header, this time from Costa’s cross, hit the crossbar with Anderson Lopes in an offside position as he slotted the rebound in.
Lestienne put the Sailors back in front three minutes into first-half stoppage time, calmly stroking in from close range after Costa’s cutback from the left.
Shan United equalised again in spectacular fashion as the midway point in the second half approached when Hirota powered his shot beyond Izwan from outside the penalty area.
But parity was to last only two minutes when Thy’s extravagant flick from three yards out put Lion City in front again, the forward converting after Lopes redirected Costa’s cross from the left into the path of his team mate to earn the Sailors all three points
Shopee Star of the Match - Lennart Thy (#9), Lion City Sailors FC
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