Sydney FC will aim to secure a home Elimination Final and go back-to-back when they take on Macarthur FC in a top-of-the-table clash this Saturday night at Campbelltown Stadium (7.45pm).
With two rounds to go until finals, the Sky Blues and the Bulls currently sit 4th and 5th on the ladder, sharing 38 points, with Sydney FC currently having one more win under their belt.
Silverware will also be up for grabs in the game, where both teams will play for the inaugural Charity Cup. The cup supports the Sony Foundation, which aims to help young Australians in need.
Melbourne Victory is coming third and is only three points in front of both teams; where if they lose to the Brisbane Roar and the Sky Blues win, they will overtake them into third.
The extra win for Sydney FC is crucial to the outcome of their Isuzu UTE A-League campaign, where if they take the three points, they will secure home elimination finals football at Allianz Stadium.
It’s been a joyous week in the Sky Blues camp after they picked up that crucial win against the Western Sydney Wanderers in stirring fashion with a last-gasp Jaiden Kucharski strike taking the Sky Blues to a 2-1 triumph.
Sydney FC outclassed their cross-town rivals, controlling large parts of the game and limiting the Wanderers to their lowest shot count all season, seven.
A Fabio Gomes goal in the 72nd minute settled the tension which was intensifying from the outset.
An injury-time Zac Sapsford strike may have been the crucial equaliser Western Sydney needed.
But a picture-perfect Anthony Caceres cross into Kucharski in the game’s final play saw the Sky Blues fans animate into a frenzy as they booked themselves a spot in this season’s finals.
The Sky Blues Sydney Derby win also secured finals footy for the Bulls, who defeated Adelaide United 2-1, in an underwhelming performance for the ten-man side.
With emotions riding high inside Hindmarsh Stadium, Nestory Irankunda thrashed the ball into the back of the net from just inside the box 20 minutes in.
The Reds continued to find the holes in the Bull’s loose defence, seeing them dominate the better of the chances and not giving Macarthur a significant sniff on goal until substitute Ariath Poil caught the defence napping in the 84th minute.
The Bulls doubled the lead when Danny Da Silva lofted the ball into the box and found Thomas Smith’s head, who converted, silencing the 12,000 strong crowd,
In the final play of the game, Adelaide earned a penalty. However, Filip Kurto rose to the challenge, stopping Irankunda’s shot and salvaging the three points for the Bulls.
When playing at Macarthur in Campbelltown, Sydney FC have come away with three points every time.
One’s to Watch:
Hayden Matthews and Valere Germain have had stellar first seasons in the A-League, with Germain creating 18 goal contributions and Matthews becoming the Sky Blues’ rising defensive threat.
Hayden Matthews:
Ufuk Talay has shown that his side likes to press high and attack ruthlessly, which Hayden Matthews has been able to do supremely well.
Despite being a defender, the 19-year-old has kept the Sky Blues in their opposition’s half by stopping counter attacks and providing balls to crucial playmakers such as Corey Hollman and Luke Brattan.
His role has been crucial for the Sky Blues at the back end of the season, making a show-stopping block against Newcastle two weeks ago and against the Wanderers, he was instrumental in limiting their attacks.
Matthews has shown that he is a consistent defender that Ufuk Talay can rely on, especially in big games, making him crucial to the outcome of every fixture.
Spectators will view his play under the microscope once again, when he takes on experienced Frenchman, Valere Germain.
Valere Germain:
Valere Germain has settled into life in South-West Sydney finely, becoming the highest goal contributor in the Bulls, even scoring against the Sky Blues in their last outing.
The 34-year-old, who has played alongside Kylian Mbappe for Monaco, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2016/2017, has shown that his age is not slowing him down.
He is known for his slick finishing and agility, and most significantly, he creates five big chances per game.
With Jake Hollman away on Olyroos duty, his position as the central forward has shifted to the left, so expect him to come face-to-face with Hayden Matthews.
H2H: Compare the Pair
| 10-8-7 | MAC-RECORD-SYD | 11-5-9 |
| 4-1-4 | H2H LAST 10 GAMES | 4-1-4 |
| 0-0-3 | H2H IN MAC | 3-0-0 |
| 48.5% | POSSESSION PG | 53.3% |
| 1.8 | GOALS SCORED PG | 1.8 |
| 1.8 | GOALS CONCEDED PG | 1.6 |
| 13.3 | SHOTS PG | 18.4 |
| 5 | SHOTS ON TARGET PG | 6.4 |
| 4 | CLEAN SHEETS | 2 |
| 5 | SAVES PG | 3 |
| 375 | PASSES PG | 374 |
| 9.9 | FOULS PG | 12.8 |
| 2.4 | YELLOW CARDS PG | 1.8 |
Team News:
Robert Mak will rejoin the side after missing out on last week’s derby due to a red card against Newcastle. Jordan Courtney-Perkins and Jake Girdwood-Reich will not play as they continue to feature in the Olyroos squad. Their next game is on Thursday at 11pm. Pat Wood and Joe Lacey, will continue to sit on the sidelines due to injury.
Corey Hollman will not be able to face off against his brother, Jake Hollman again, as the Bulls midfielder is on Olyroos duty. Yianni Nicolaou will also sit on the sidelines after he saw red last week when he lashed out at Irankunda with his arm. Captain Ulises Davilia will also not play, as he serves a two-match ban after threatening Western United captain, Josh Risdon, two weeks ago. Macarthur will also be without Jake McGing, Kealey Adamson, Jesper Webber and Bernardo Oliveira as they have sustained injuries.
Last Time Out:
Sydney FC hosted the Bulls for the ninth time back in December, where the Sky Blues looked to go back-to-back for the first time under Ufuk Talay, and Macarthur aimed to continue their dazzling start to the season.
With the odds heavily in the Bulls’ favour, they thought they had their first four minutes in when Valere Germain poked the ball into the net, but it was called offside.
The Bulls ripped through the Sky Blues defence and caught Andrew Redmayne outside the box, causing him to handball and receive a red card.
Twelve minutes later, Jake Hollman buried the ball into the bottom right corner, seeing the Bulls go 1-0 up.
Sydney FC began to work themselves in the game but could not find a clinical touch.
Despite a Robert Mak goal, which was called offside, Jed Drew crossed the ball and found Germain, who skilfully planted the ball in the net, seeing Macarthur finish 2-0 winners.
Match Details:
Macarthur FC vs Sydney FC Isuzu UTE A-League, Round 25 Saturday 20th April, 2024 Campbelltown Stadium, Leumeah, NSW Kick Off: 7:45PM Broadcast Live: Paramount+ and 10BOLD Tickets: Click Here
