Skipper Luke Brattan has told supporters to buckle up because Saturday night’s Sydney Derby is going to be a “crazy” ride.
The clash with Western Sydney Wanderers at Allianz Stadium has added spice as a win could go a long way to securing the victor a home Finals berth – with the potential for another Derby match up in a post season showdown.
And the Sky Blues want to make the most of playing the third Derby of the season on familiar turf.
Brattan said: “Home form is very important, but Derby matches are crazy games.
“In Derbies, anything can happen. The emotion that is attached to it, the energy…anything can happen.
“No-one wants to lose a Derby. It means so much to the players and the staff and the fans. You give your all and it’s pretty much like war as you are putting your body on the line at every moment.
“But we are not thinking about home form or what has happened in previous games. We need to do what Uffie (Talay) wants us to do.
“We have a certain style of play and if we execute how we want to play and show our identity going forward, results will take care of themselves. We have proven that in the past. We need to execute the game plan and take care of ourselves.”
Sydney FC will be without the suspended Robbie Mak and exciting youngsters Jake Girdwood-Reich and Jordan Courtney-Perkins for the game, who are away with the Olyroos.
Brattan added: “Robbie is a big miss as well as the two young boys. Jake and Jordan have arguably been two of our best players this year. For their age, they have done a great job this year. We have the cover for them though. They are big losses but we will deal with it.”
Wanderers currently sit sixth on the ladder with one less point than the Sky Blues’ tally of 35 with three games to go.
And the midfielder is driving his team-mates hard to ensure Sydney FC capture maximum points in their final matches.
“We are one point above them,” he added. “Our Finals position isn’t secured and we want to finish as high as we can on the table.
“This is a must win for us. We are solely thinking about getting maximum points in the last three games. We want a home Final and to play in front of our fans as much as possible.”
There are limited tickets left for the Sydney Derby secure your spot for the big game now by heading to Ticketek.
Match Details:
Sydney FC v Western Sydney Wanderers
Isuzu UTE A-League Round 24
Allianz Stadium, Sydney, NSW
Kick Off: 7:45pm AEST
Gates Open: 6:15pm AEST
Broadcast Live: Paramount+ & 10Bold
Tickets: Click Here
Matchday Partner: McDonalds
