How Red Bull tactics inspired Sydney FC’s thumping 4-1 derby win

There have been more one-sided results in the 12-year history of the A-League’s Sydney derby than on Saturday night, but surely not many more one-sided performances. It took just seven minutes for Ufuk Talay’s new-look Sydney FC to take a two-goal lead, an opening burst he believed broke the spirit of the Western Sydney Wanderers.

A well-worked short corner, engineered by the red-hot Joe Lolley, set up acting captain Rhyan Grant for his first-ever goal against the Wanderers in just the third minute at CommBank Stadium. Within the blink of an eye, Fabio Gomes made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after a harsh but fair handball call on Lachlan Brook.

Fabio Gomes celebrates his second goal with Anthony Caceres.Credit: Getty

Then the real star of the show took over: Sydney FC’s high press, ripped straight from the playbook of the Red Bull football group. Talay’s assistant David Zdrilic used to work with the academy teams of Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, and the things he learned from Ralf Rangnick are now being executed to near-perfection by the Sky Blues.

Their third and fourth goals, converted by Robert Mak and Fabio Gomes, came directly from Wanderers mistakes forced by the energy and intensity of Sydney’s system.

And they did it all without their usual skipper, Luke Brattan, who was suspended - but not missed.

“This is the way we want to play,” Talay said.

“This is the identity we want to create at Sydney. We want to play a high-pressing game, an intense game. We want to be the protagonist and make sure we’re defending forward. And if we’re going to fall over, we’re going to fall forward - not backwards.

Ufuk Talay’s Sydney FC are flying.Credit: Getty

“I don’t want to say it’s my work. It’s been a great collaboration with David as well to get the boys to that level, and the boys have bought into it. I think they thoroughly enjoy playing the way that we play, and I think it also makes a great spectacle for the fans.”

Marko Rudan, the Wanderers coach making his return to the dugout after his touchline ban for criticising referees, knew it was coming, and tried to prepare his players for it.

“This is his doing,” Rudan said of Zdrilic.

“This is the Red Bull system. He worked enough years to understand exactly what Ralf Rangnick wanted from all their clubs. He was able to get in the ear of Uffie - not so much into Bimbi [former Sydney FC coach Steve Corica] - and you can see what’s come out of it. They’re going to be a force, if they’re not already a force.”

Sydney FC fans lap up their 4-1 victory.Credit: Getty

While Rudan said he took full responsibility for the loss, and apologised to Western Sydney’s fans and members, he also pinned it on his players.

“I can’t coach what’s inside of somebody, how big their heart is, how much they want to win a ball, how much they want to give back, how much they want to make a forward run,” he said. “As much as I’d love to cross the white line with them, they know their roles and responsibilities from a tactical point of view.”

The Sky Blues are now on a seven-match unbeaten run and are playing some truly exciting football. The Wanderers, on the other hand, have won just one of their last five.

An Australian Professional Leagues spokesperson has shared with us this statement, without any further details:

We are aware of an incident that occurred inside the stadium during the first half. We are working with all parties to investigate the matter as part of prescribed protocols.

And that’s all she wrote.

A night of utter domination for the Sky Blues - and utter humiliation for the Wanderers.

Rhyan Grant got the party started in just the third minute with a thumping header. Fabio Gomes scored a brace. Robert Mak added the other. Zac Sapsford nabbed a late consolation, via the foot of Jake Girdwood-Reich.

Sydney’s press was outstanding. The Wanderers had absolutely no answers - and no backing from their active fan group, the RBB, after about 20 minutes, due to some form of dispute with the police. We’re trying to find out more about what happened through the Australian Professional Leagues.

The better team won tonight - sometimes it’s that simple.

But for the outstretched glove of Daniel Margush, which parried wide a shot from Jaiden Kucharski, it’d be 5-1. It goes out for a corner instead and the Wanderers fans throw some more stuff onto the field. Classy areas.

One more substitution for Sydney: Corey Hollman is off, Matthew Scarcella is on.

Four minutes of regulation time to come.

Wanderers 1-4 Sydney FC

To add insult to injury, it’s the 80th minute - the time when the RBB usually does the Poznan. That’s the thing where they all turn their backs to the football, put their arms on each other’s shoulders and jump up and down.

Well, since the RBB aren’t here to do it, The Cove is doing it for them. How thoughtful.

Meanwhile, this match has lost a little bit of flow with all of those substitutions.

Wanderers 1-4 Sydney FC

They’re coming! Brandon Borrello fires off another shot after being played in by Sapford but it goes straight towards Andrew Redmayne, who punches it up into the air - and then cops a stray kick from Borrello right in the bread basket as he tries to collect the ball. Accidental for sure.

It seems the Sky Blues are running out of juice here. Which is why Ufuk Talay is readying a triple substitution to see out the last 13 minutes or so of this game: Jaiden Kucharski, Nathan Amanatidis and Michell Glasson are coming on, and Max Burgess, Fabio Gomes and Robert Mak are all off.

Wanderers 1-4 Sydney FC

OK, maybe that record won’t be broken tonight. Western Sydney have finally scored - although it will probably be counted as an own goal.

Zac Sapsford made it happen in the 72nd minute, latching onto a through ball and running into the box. He tried to slide it across the face of goal for a teammate but it catches the foot of Jake Girdwood-Reich and it ends up deflecting past Andrew Redmayne.

Wanderers 1-4 Sydney FC

This was before they started throwing stuff at him.Credit: Getty

‘We’re taking the piss - we’re taking the piiiiissss - Sydney FC, we’re taking the piss,’ sing the Cove, and they’re having a good old time here tonight.

They’re also singing some other things that I can’t really write here without getting fired.

Anyway, this game is toast - but there could be another record broken tonight. The most one-sided derby thus far came in December 2017, when the Sky Blues prevailed 5-0. Could they equal or better that here? It feels like that could happen.

Meanwhile, two more subs by Marko Rudan: Jack Clisby and Sonny Kittel are off, Dylan Scicluna and Zac Sapsford are on.

Wanderers 0-4 Sydney FC

Wow. Wow wow wow.

Game well and truly over now.

Fabio Gomes has just made it 4-0 to the Sky Blues but that’s absolutely shocking from the Wanderers... a simple passback from Thomas Beadling goes to the feet of goalkeeper Daniel Margush and he makes an absolute meal of it. The ball spills free, Gomes jumps on it and taps it into an empty net.

Beadling and Margush bicker over whose fault that was. Maybe the pass was a little hard. But that’s elementary stuff.

What an embarrassing night for the Wanderers. And there’s still 30 minutes to play!

Wanderers 0-4 Sydney FC