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Second-placed Sydney FC were at their brilliant best in dismantling A-League finals hopefuls Adelaide United 4-1 at Coopers Stadium.

Defending A-League champions Sydney FC have produced a stunning performance to trounce 10-man Adelaide United 4-1 at Coopers Stadium.

The second-place Sky Blues outclassed the Reds from start to finish on Saturday night with Adam Le Fondre playing a starring role in front of 8198 fans.

Adelaide's Jordan Elsey was sent off for a second bookable offence just after the hour, but Sydney were already 3-0 up and in total control.

"I think that was our best performance of the season actually," Sydney coach Steve Corica said.

"It's come at the right time. It's getting better all the time, the boys are ... I thought we dominated from the start."

The visitors overwhelmed finals hopefuls Adelaide from the outset and spent most of the first five minutes camped in the Reds half.

The pressure paid off with Le Fondre breaking the deadlock on six minutes with a clinical header.

Luke Brattan played a quick free kick wide to Ryan Grant who whipped in a cross for Le Fondre at the back post.

The English striker should have added a second on 21 minutes when he was left unmarked from another Brattan set piece, but he headed over the bar from close range.

Adelaide's best chances came via Ryan Strain and then Stefan Mauk, who hit the upright early in the second half.

That miss would prove costly with Sydney doubling their lead moments later.

Le Fondre started the move, finding Kosta Barbarouses on the edge of the area who threaded a pass to Bobo.

United keeper James Delianov rushed off his line to smother the shot, but the rebound fell perfectly for Le Fondre to roll the ball into an empty net.

The Englishman was involved again just before the hour, this time setting up Bobo to tap in Sydney's third.

Adelaide's night went from bad to worse on 63 minutes when Elsey was shown a second yellow card for stopping Bobo's run on halfway.

The Reds defender could have considered himself lucky to still be on the park after escaping with just a caution in the first half for a lunging tackle on the Brazilian.

Sydney scored a fourth on 71 minutes when substitute Patrick Wood received a pass from Milos Ninkovic and fired low into the bottom corner.

The Reds grabbed a consolation on 89 minutes with another sub in Yaya Dukuly turning in a cut-back from Michael Marrone.

"Not good enough," Adelaide coach Carl Veart said.

"We started slowly in the first half and we gave Sydney too much respect and time on the ball."