Geylang International vs Young Lions

Geylang International’s 2022 Singapore Premier League home campaign gets underway as last season’s whipping boys, Young Lions, arrive at the Tampines Stadium.

Geylang International saw an early lead slip through their fingers in a curtain-raising 1-1 draw at Tampines Rovers last time out, with both goals in that fixture coming within 16 minutes. Since four of Geylang’s six most recent top-flight meetings with Young Lions featured an opening goal inside the first 17 minutes of play, another quick-fire first-half start could be on the cards. But spanning back to the final stretch of the 2021/22 season, the ‘Eagles’ are winless in their last five outings in all competitions (D2, L3), scoring precisely once on each occasion. Unfortunately for manager Mohd Noor Ali, Geylang’s home form doesn’t make for pretty reading either, with the hosts going winless in their last four home league matches (D2, L2).

In the meantime, visiting Young Lions opened the new season pretty much the same way they finished the last one, conceding on either side of halftime in a thumping 3-0 defeat at reigning champions Albirex Niigata on matchday one. Philippe Aw’s men were the only side in the Singapore Premier League to have failed to hit a ten-point landmark in the top division last season (8), losing a staggering 86% of their top-flight matches (24/28). If that’s not enough to dampen the spirits in the visiting camp, a humiliating tally of 103 league goals conceded last season may do the trick. Another leaky encounter is on the cards, with Young Lions letting in 2+ goals on their three most recent league visits to Geylang (W1, D1, L1).