Albirex Niigata Triumph Over Geylang International to Keep Top-Four Hopes Alive
The White Swans put on a clinical display to secure a 4-1 victory against Geylang International FC at Our Tampines Hub, claiming their first win over the Eagles since August 2023. With two games remaining in the season, Albirex remains in contention to overtake Balestier Khalsa for fourth place in the Singapore Premier League.
Shingo Nakano set the tone early, striking in the 15th minute to give Albirex a deserved lead. Geylang attempted to rally and found their equalizer through Iqbal Hussain in the 48th minute, but the home side’s hopes were soon dashed by a series of pivotal moments.
A major turning point occurred in the 72nd minute when Keito Hariya was initially shown a yellow card for bringing down Nakano outside the box. However, after VAR intervention, referee Farhad reversed the decision, upgrading the card to a straight red for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Albirex wasted no time in capitalizing, as Yohei Otake fired home directly from the resulting free kick in the 76th minute to restore the visitors’ lead.
Albirex continued their dominance, with Nakano adding a second goal in the 80th minute. Although originally ruled offside, another VAR review overturned the call, awarding Albirex their third goal of the night. Amy Recha then put the finishing touch on the emphatic victory with a late strike in the 86th minute.
The win not only ends Albirex’s winless run against Geylang but also keeps their hopes of a fourth-place finish alive. With two matches left in the campaign, Albirex will look to build on this momentum as they push toward a strong finish in the Singapore Premier League.
Shingo Nakano set the tone early, striking in the 15th minute to give Albirex a deserved lead. Geylang attempted to rally and found their equalizer through Iqbal Hussain in the 48th minute, but the home side’s hopes were soon dashed by a series of pivotal moments.
A major turning point occurred in the 72nd minute when Keito Hariya was initially shown a yellow card for bringing down Nakano outside the box. However, after VAR intervention, referee Farhad reversed the decision, upgrading the card to a straight red for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Albirex wasted no time in capitalizing, as Yohei Otake fired home directly from the resulting free kick in the 76th minute to restore the visitors’ lead.
Albirex continued their dominance, with Nakano adding a second goal in the 80th minute. Although originally ruled offside, another VAR review overturned the call, awarding Albirex their third goal of the night. Amy Recha then put the finishing touch on the emphatic victory with a late strike in the 86th minute.
The win not only ends Albirex’s winless run against Geylang but also keeps their hopes of a fourth-place finish alive. With two matches left in the campaign, Albirex will look to build on this momentum as they push toward a strong finish in the Singapore Premier League.
