Singapore Premier League Matchweek 23 Recap: Albirex Niigata (S) Continues Dominance with Win Over Balestier Khalsa

Albirex Niigata (S) continued their dominant form with a sixth consecutive victory, beating Balestier Khalsa despite already securing the championship. The defeat for the Tigers, coupled with Geylang International’s comfortable win over Young Lions, sets up an exciting race for fourth place in the final Matchweek. Meanwhile, Tampines Rovers faced further struggles as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Brunei DPMM, while Hougang United and Tanjong Pagar played out a thrilling 3-3 draw.

In the Tampines vs. DPMM match, Boris Kopitović and Saifullah Akbar scored for Tampines, while Farshad Noor and Nazirrudin Ismail found the net for DPMM. Tampines has now gone winless in their last four matches, their worst run since 2021. Saifullah ended a scoring drought with his first SPL goal in over a year, while Nazirrudin scored in consecutive league games for the first time in his career.

Geylang International cruised to a 3-0 victory over Young Lions, with Joshua Pereira scoring a brace and Gareth Low adding another goal. Young Lions extended their losing streak to 15 matches and have conceded in 87 straight SPL games. Pereira’s brace marked a milestone in his career, and Geylang kept only their fourth clean sheet of the season.

Hougang United and Tanjong Pagar played out a thrilling 3-3 draw, with goals from Kristijan Krajček, Amy Recha, and Nazrul Nazari for Hougang, and Shukri Bashir, Khairul Amri, and Faizal Roslan for Tanjong Pagar. Nazrul matched his best-ever scoring seasons, while Faizal achieved his best-ever scoring season in his career.

Finally, Albirex Niigata (S) showcased their class with a convincing 5-1 win over Balestier. Jordan Emaviwe scored a superb goal for Balestier, but goals from Seia Kunori, Tadanari Lee, Shuto Komaki, Asahi Yokokawa, and Keito Komatsu secured the victory for Albirex. Albirex became the first team to surpass 80 goals this season and demonstrated impressive scoring prowess.

As the season draws to a close, fans can expect more thrilling matches and intense competition in the SPL.

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Zora Əhmədov

Zora Əhmədov, our dedicated statistician and lover of small leagues, is the analytical mind behind Asia.futbol's in-depth statistical analyses. Hailing from Azerbaijan, Zora's expertise lies in uncovering the hidden gems and untold stories within the lesser-known football leagues across Asia. With a sharp focus on numbers and an encyclopedic knowledge of the game, Zora's articles provide readers with a fresh perspective on the statistical side of Asian football.

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