A-League Men Round 1 LIVE updates: Douglas Costa starts, Juan ...

...possibly 4-1 up, actually, after two excellent moves. The first one was really excellent, though, with Lolley finding an unmarked Douglas Costa in the box, only for his shot to hit the woodwork. They’re all over them, the Sky Blues, and the Wanderers have no answers. Their combination play in the final third is absolutely irresistable.

Wanderers 1-2 Sydney FC, 70 minutes

Wow. Terrific work by the Sky Blues after a free-kick. Douglas Costa delivers a cross from the right with his left foot, it finds the head of Hayden Matthews, who flicks the ball on, and then it finds another - Patryk Klimala gets the final touch on it, right in front of the Cove, and they’re 2-1 up.

Seconds after Juan Mata came on the pitch.

They’ll take some beating now, Sydney.

Wanderers 1-2 Sydney FC, 64 minutes

BOOM! The Wanderers equalise! CommBank goes bananas!

That sort of came out of nowhere - some nice work by Bozhidar Kraev and Brandon Borrello, and then it falls to Aidan Hammond, who is there as the ball comes loose as Borrello is tackled by two Sydney defenders. He rips a first-time shot with his right... and there’s nothing Andrew Redmayne can do about that. Goal.

Wanderers 1-1 Sydney FC, 57 minutes

Sydney FC have made a bright start to this second half with a flurry of attacking entries - and, just now, a rasping long-distance drive from Douglas Costa which is comfortably saved. If the hosts made any adjustments at the break to try and address the dominance of their rivals, it hasn’t really worked.

Wanderers 0-1 Sydney FC, 52 minutes

The second half is only seconds away. Let’s see if the Wanderers have figured any of that out… they’re making a sub, too, with Zac Sapsford off and Bozhidar Kraev coming on.

New signings and a rookie goalkeeper provided the big moments as a 10-man Melbourne City shaded Newcastle 1-0 In their opening-round A-League Men clash.

A second-minute goal to Marco Tilio, loaned back to City from Scottish giants Celtic, was enough to win Saturday’s feisty contest at McDonald Jones Stadium, which produced eight yellow cards and a red.

City were reduced to 10 players after Socceroo James Jeggo was sent off in the 70th minute for a stamp on Eli Adams.

Welcome back, Marco Tilio.Credit: Getty Images

Just a few minutes earlier Jeggo had been caught above the ankle by Jets captain Kosta Grozos, who was perhaps fortunate to get a yellow card rather than a red.

Socceroo Aziz Behich set up the goal with a surging run down the left.

His cross was headed back across goal by Israeli import and new signing Yonatan Cohen, with Tilio slotting home from close range after his initial header was blocked.

Another feature of City’s performance was the assured ALM debut of goalkeeper Patrick Beach, who was chosen ahead of highly respected veteran Jamie Young.

The Australian under-23 representative made fine first-half saves from an Aleksander Susnjar close-range shot and a curling free kick from Grozos.

Both sides had four shots on target.

Tilio came close to doubling his and City’s tally in the third minute of the second half following a dazzling run and shot, which was tipped away by Jets goalkeeper Ryan Scott.

Newcastle pushed for an equaliser in the second half, with Adams, Lachlan Bayliss and substitute Clayton Taylor all having shots.

AAP

There’s the whistle to end the first half. Sydney FC are 1-0 up and deservedly so. As mentioned just a few moments ago, they have absolutely dominated this match - Joe Lolley scored their goal in the 17th minute, but they could have had one or two more, such is the way they’ve been playing, with their foreigners in the front half all looking good.

The Wanderers are lacking any sort of control and are definitely lacking the sort of player who can put their foot on the ball and help them get it. Juan Mata, perhaps?

In fact, we’ve just seen their best moment of the half, with Brandon Borrello’s cutback absolutely skied to high heaven by Tristan Hammond, I think it was. They need more moments like that.