Western Sydney Wanderers vs. Melbourne City: A Finals Before the Finals

In a match that could be dubbed a ‘final before the finals,’ Western Sydney Wanderers host Melbourne City in a crucial clash for finals positioning. The Wanderers, coming off a narrow defeat, need a victory to solidify their finals hopes. Meanwhile, Melbourne City, fresh from an 8-0 thrashing of Perth Glory, looks to carry that momentum into a game that holds significant implications for their season.

This encounter is pivotal for Melbourne City, who have demonstrated their capability to dominate with high-scoring victories yet find themselves outside the top six due to inconsistent performances. A win at CommBank Stadium is crucial if they hope to keep their finals dreams alive.

The Wanderers will need to leverage their home advantage and the support of their fans to overcome a City team that has shown it can decimate opponents when in form. For City, the key to victory lies in replicating their aggressive play and capitalizing on the scoring prowess of players like Tolgay Arslan, who recently showcased his skill with a hat-trick.

Both teams face a defining moment in their season. For the Wanderers, it’s about rebounding from recent setbacks and proving their resilience. For City, it’s about ensuring their impressive victories translate into a secured spot in the finals.

Newcastle v Wellington Phoenix: The Jets have the chance to play spoiler in the Premiership race when they welcome Wellington Phoenix to town on Friday night. Newcastle are in some great form at the moment, going unbeaten in their last three and have beaten Wellington already this season. Phoenix, however, need a win to keep pace with Central Coast in the race for their first piece of silverware. Tip: Draw

Western Sydney Wanderers v Melbourne City: Essentially a ‘play-in’ game for Western Sydney and Melbourne City as both sides jostle for sixth spot on the ladder and a finals berth. A win for the Wanderers will wrap up a place in the finals, while a win gives City control of sixth place. All to play for. Tip: Draw

Melbourne Victory v Brisbane Roar: Victory will look to wrap up a home Elimination Final, when they face a desperate Brisbane Roar. A win secures third or fourth place on the ladder for Victory, while Brisbane need three points and help to keep their slim finals hopes alive. Tip: Victory to win

Macarthur FC v Sydney FC: A potential finals preview in Campbelltown as fourth placed Sydney FC take on fifth placed Macarthur. Both teams are locked in the six but are jostling for seeding and an all-important home Elimination Final. A win can help them all but secure that for either side. Tip: Draw

Central Coast Mariners v Adelaide United: Central Coast will look to edge one step closer to wrapping up the Premiership on Sunday in Gosford. Meanwhile, Adelaide needs a win and help to stay alive in the race for sixth, but their finals hopes could be over by kick-off depending on the results on Saturday. Both teams are coming in off mid-week clashes, with the Mariners playing an AFC Cup clash in Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday night, while the Reds played Western United on Tuesday. Tip: Central Coast to win

Perth Glory v Western United: Perth Glory and Western United’s finals hopes are over, but they will be hoping to avoid the unwanted tag of winning the wooden spoon. A win for Western will ensure they don’t finish bottom, while three points for Perth keeps their chances of avoiding last place alive. Glory will be smarting to bounce back after an 8-0 loss to Melbourne City, while the injuries are mounting for Western who have played a lot of football this week, with this being the third game in eight days. Tip: Perth Glory to win