Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory will renew their rivalry on Wednesday night when they meet at Jubilee Stadium for a place in the Hahn Australia Cup Final.
The Sky Blues progressed with a 1-0 win over SD Raiders, while Victory required extra time to overcome APIA Leichhardt by the same scoreline.
Sydney FC forward Mathías Macallister believes the Sky Blues can take confidence from their campaign so far, having also recorded wins over Bayswater City and Brisbane Roar.
“It’s been really good. We started strongly against Bayswater, scoring five goals, then performed well in Brisbane and got the job done against SD Raiders,” Macallister said.
“PK (Patrick Kisnorbo) has told us that we need to be on the front foot and look to score plenty of goals, and we’ll aim to do that against Victory.”
For Sydney FC, the biggest changes could come in attack.
New Nigerian striker Oriola Sunday joined the club shortly before the quarter-final but was not included in the matchday squad.
After additional weeks of training under Patrick Kisnorbo, the 23-year-old could make his Sky Blue debut against Victory.
Sydney FC could also introduce fresh recruit James Overy, who has joined the club following two years in Manchester United.
The 18-year-old right-back is a recent addition to the squad and could make his Sky Blue debut in the semi-final.
Overy’s arrival gives Kisnorbo another option on the right side of defence, where captain Rhyan Grant started in the quarter-final.
Akol Akon made his return from a calf injury against the Raiders, replacing Zac de Jesus in the only change to the team that had defeated Brisbane Roar in the Round of 16.
After starting on the right wing at Fairfield Showground, Akon could retain his place as he continues building match fitness while Jake Hollman could also come back into the squad from a hamstring issue.
Melbourne Victory may consider rewarding quarter-final match-winner Harry Sawyer with a starting position.
Sawyer replaced Clarismario Santos Rodrigues in the 78th minute against APIA before scoring the decisive goal early in extra time.
It was his second goal of the tournament after he also found the net against Western Sydney Wanderers in the Round of 16.
The striker’s Cup form could force a reshuffle in Giovanni Savarese’s starting attack.
With new arrivals and players pushing for more minutes, both coaches face important selection decisions ahead of Wednesday night’s battle for a place in the Hahn Australia Cup Final.
“It’s a Big Blue in Sydney, with high stakes and plenty of fans,” Macallister said.
“It’s a derby, so we’re looking to bring plenty of energy.”
Sydney FC will take on Melbourne Victory at Jubilee Stadium on Wednesday, 9 September, with kick-off at 7:30pm AEST. Tickets can be purchased here.
