Silver lining for Sydney

It will be little consolation for Sydney and their fans when they wake up tomorrow morning, but the Sky Blues were ridiculously unfortunate to not find, at the very least, an equaliser. The likes of Kosta Barbarouses and Adam Le Fondre scarcely miss the kinds of the opportunities they were presented with tonight, but this was just ‘one of those days’.

Steve Corica’s Sydney looked fluent on the ball with both their number 10s, Milos Ninkovic and Alexander Baumjohann finding the space required to pierce the Wanderers defence.

So, Sydney should not be too worried in the early stages of this season even if they go home disappointed tonight.

If there was one concern to be had about Sydney based off this game, it’s that when it was clear that the first eleven might not break the ice, there are few options on the bench that can make a difference.

Luke Ivanovic came on with twenty minutes to spare, but still a teenager, it’s hardly expected of him to make a crucial difference in a derby. Elsewhere the only truly experienced player on the Sydney bench is Antony Caceres, who looked lively but never really threatened. Is there enough depth in this Sydney team then to mount another championship challenge?

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Sydney Derby: Player Ratings

Western Sydney Wanderers have completed a dream start to the season and are clear at the top of the table after defeating bitter rivals Sydney FC 1-0 at Bankwest Stadium.

Time to enjoy Australia’s greatest sporting rivalry

The first Sydney derby of the season at the spectacular Bankwest Stadium showed that, as long as the two teams remain competitive, the rivalry will continue to brew.

On the pitch, tempers flared every time there was a collision. Alireza Faghani, still new to the A-League, probably had one of the toughest games of his career as he fought to keep the passion alive as well as the players on the field.

Off the field, both the Red and Black Bloc and The Cove were in full voice for the full 90 minutes and even beyond. The support from the fans surely had a role to play as the Wanderers fought tooth and nail to hold their lead.

An almost full stadium at Parramatta – 28,519 came to watch the match live -- will only raise expectations from here. Hopefully the remaining derbies prove to be just as drama filled with enough entertainment on the pitch and off it.