A-League opens with Sydney derby stalemate

While they’re bitter A-League Men rivals, Sydney FC and Western Sydney coaches can still agree that a derby won’t lead to pretty football for a season-opener.

In a match pitting last year’s grand finalists against the wooden spooners on Friday night, neither side at Allianz Stadium could live up to the hype of a blockbuster Sydney derby and settled for a lacklustre 0-0 draw.

There were few highlights, with Sky Blues coach Patrick Kisnorbo and Wanderers counterpart Ufuk Talay admitting the game was bogged down by strategy.

“It was just 90 minutes of two teams fighting for a goal or fighting for the upper hand, but I know it wasn’t the prettiest game of football, definitely not,” Kisnorbo said.

“I think maybe the opposition thought we were going to go one way and we went another way.”

Talay added: “The derby’s not always going to be silky football. It’s always going to be a bit chaotic.

“They decided not to play through our press and be a little bit more direct, and I think that made the game a lot more scrappy than what it should have been.

“There weren’t a lot of chances in the game, but overall I thought we had the better chances.”

Much of the build-up to Friday’s derby had centred on former Sydney FC coach Talay’s switch of allegiance, but the new Wanderers boss was unable to orchestrate a smash-and-grab mission at his old home.

“Look, for me home is where your bread is at the end of the day,” Talay said.

The return of 2024/25’s Johnny Warren medallist Nicolas Milanovic, alongside the recruitment of treble-winning former Central Coast youngster Miguel Di Pizio, had added to the anticipation, though neither was able to swing the tie Wanderers’ way.

With skipper Brandon Borrello (calf) rested as a precaution, Western Sydney were dealt another blow within the opening 10 minutes when Awan Lual suffered a left-hamstring injury.

The 19-year-old striker had got the better of Sydney defender Jordan Courtney-Perkins en route to goal before his left leg appeared to give out.

Alex Gersbach was also substituted in the 80th minute with a hamstring injury.

Fellow teen striker Atiya Waraga came off the bench as Lual’s cover, and went close with an 84th-minute shot that flew narrowly wide of the far post.

The Wanderers at least avoided kicking off their season with a third-straight derby defeat. They have won just one of the last nine meetings with their Sky Blue neighbours.

Sky Blues recruits James Overy and Oriola Sunday also provided some of the few highlights.

Nigerian striker Sunday lit up the 30,103-strong crowd with a daring run down the corridor in the 66th minute, bamboozling stand-in Wanderers captain German Ferreyra and Anthony Pantazopoulos in quick succession - only to fall short of reaching the box.

Former Manchester United youngster Overy then came off the bench in the 79th minute and almost nailed the perfect ALM debut, his shot at goal in added time saved by Wanderers keeper Lawrence Thomas.

Di Pizio went closest for the visitors, but his close-range effort in the 60th minute was easily denied by goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares.