Adelaide United coach Josep Gombau declared Eugen Galekovic the Hyundai A-League’s best goal-keeper after the Reds skipper inspired his side to a crucial win over Sydney FC.
Galekovic almost single-handedly kept the Sky Blues at bay throughout the 90 minutes, making nine saves as Adelaide emerged 1-0 winners.
MATCH REPORT: Sydney FC v Adelaide United
The veteran gloevman also came up with the assist for Awer Mabil’s winning goal eight minutes from time.
Even Sky Blues coach Graham Arnold couldn’t help but praise Galekovic, saying he had “the game of his life” and Gombau echoed those sentiments.
“For me he is the best goal-keeper in Australia,” the Spaniard said of his skipper.
“He’s doing very well and he’s showing his capacity, not just saving the ball but also how many passes he does for us.
“His game with the feet is perfect and also with the hands. He’s a very good goal-keeper and we have to enjoy that we have him in the team.”
While Galekovic kept his side in the match with a string of clutch saves, young-gun Mabil also came up with a moment of magic to snatch all three points.
In his first game back from a lengthy injury, the teenager came off the bench to score a cracking goal, cutting inside from the right to plant a powerful left-foot shot in the far corner.
Worryingly though for the Reds he was forced off with a recurrence of the same injury just three minutes later.
“He started training this week, we thought he was ok, not to start but play the last 20 minutes to help us,” Gombau explained.
“He did help us but in the same time he scored he felt pain in the same place.
“I’m very worried because we might lose him for two or three weeks more.”
It was the second week in a row Adelaide were below their fluent best but still managed to grind out a 1-0 win on the road, like they did in Newcastle six days ago.
It was made even more impressive that they did it without the injured Marcelo Carrusca and Pablo Sanchez as well as Socceroo defender Tarek Elrich who was suspended.
“I feel very good. We got three points at a place that is very difficult and against a team that’s also involved in the top five that we are fighting with to be at the top,” Gombau said.
“Sydney had a lot of chances but football is to put the ball in the net and we did and they didn’t.
“I’m satisfied because we had some difficulties this week with injuries and Elrich suspended and we prepared a game knowing what we wanted to do and in the end we got the result.”
