KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) wasted little time announcing themselves on the Asean Club Championship (ACC) stage, storming to a 3-1 win over Lion City Sailors (LCS) in their Group B opener at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium today.

The much-anticipated "Causeway Champions Clash" pitted Malaysia's Super League winners against Singapore's S-League title holders, and it was the home side who seized the early advantage.

The game's first flashpoint came in the eighth minute when former Selangor stalwart Safuwan Baharudin was booked for a rash foul inside the area. After a VAR review, the referee awarded JDT a penalty, which Joao Figueiredo calmly tucked away with a precise right-footed strike into the bottom corner.

The Brazilian forward doubled the Southern Tigers' lead just five minutes later, showing his predatory instincts with another composed finish from the centre of the box in the 16th minute.

When fans at Iskandar Puteri were making their exit, Arif Aiman Hanapi roared the stadium back to life with a third goal in stoppage time (90+2). But the Singapore club managed to pull one back to reduce the deficit just before the final whistle (90+4) through a fantastic shot outside the box by Shawal Anuar.

Next, JDT will host Thai League 1 runners-up Bangkok United at the same venue on Sept 25.