Ufuk Talay’s Sydney FC squad return home to Allianz Stadium this Saturday night for a critical match-up against the current second placed Central Coast Mariners.
A win against the Central Coast Mariners could see Sydney FC move away from their fifth placed position in perfect time with the highly anticipated A-League Finals not far away.
With nine points separating the Sky Blues and their Central Coast competitors, a victory at Allianz could see Talay’s squad overtake fourth placed Melbourne Victory and put pressure on those above.
One’s To Watch: Fabio Gomes and Jacob Farrell
Striker Fabio Gomes is enjoying a positive season with the Sky Blues. As the highest goal scorer for Sydney FC this season, Gomes has nine A-League goals under his belt as well as four assists. The 26 year old has an average of 2.7 shots per game as well as 26 touches. The Brazilian native has become a key player for Sydney FC with his high press style of play and seven years of professional football experience across the world.
Defender Jacob Farrell is listed as one of the top players for Central Coast Mariners. The 21 year old has had an impressive season and is known for his strong tackling ability and ground duels. Whilst he is yet to net a goal this season, Farrell has two assists, and his defensive stats are nothing short of admirable. Farrell has an 81% passing accuracy, an average of 2.6 intercepts a game and 2.9 tackles per game, with 10 clean sheets this season.
Head-To-Head 2023/2024 Season:
| 9-4-8 | SYD-RECORD-CCM | 12-4-5 |
| 31-11-28 | H2H | 18-11-31 |
| 18-5-8 | H2H AT ALLIANZ | 8-5-18 |
| 53.2% | POSSESSION PG | 46.5% |
| 1.9 | GOALS SCORED PG | 1.8 |
| 1.6 | GOALS CONCEDED PG | 1.0 |
| 18.7 | SHOTS PG | 14.2 |
| 6.5 | SHOTS ON TARGET PG | 5.6 |
| 1 | CLEAN SHEETS | 10 |
| 3.1 | SAVES PG | 2.8 |
| 371 | PASSES PG | 340 |
| 1.8 | YELLOW CARDS PG | 2.1 |
| 3 | RED CARDS PG | 5 |
Team News:
The Sky Blues are without Patrick Wood, Joe Lacey and Aaron Gurd whilst they recover from previously sustained injuries. Jake Girdwood-Reich has returned from international duties with the U23 Olyroos and also has returned from his one match suspension after obtaining a red card during the Round 20 clash against Brisbane Roar. The young centre-back is now in contention to be named for the starting lineup. Slovakian representative Robert Mak and Olyroos representatives Jordan Courtney Perkins and Corey Hollman will also be in contention after returning from international call ups. The players did not play for their international sides in the most recent match-ups and will return to Sky Blue training well rested on Friday.
The Central Coast Mariners will miss Sasha Kuzevski due to a knee injury as well as Harrison Steele who sustained a broken foot. Noah Smith will also be missing from the lineup due to an unknown injury.
Last Time Out:
Sydney FC and the Central Coast Mariners last went head-to-head in Round 16. The result was a 3-1 victory for the Sky Blues after an opening goal from Rhyan Grant in the fourth minute started their match domination. Moments later, Anthony Caceres netted the Sky Blues second goal for the evening. The final nail in the Mariners coffin was an own goal from Daniel Hall. Despite a successful strike from Angel Torres, Sydney FC maintained their lead for the duration fo the match. The Central Coast Mariners have not won their last four away matches against the Sky Blues.
Match Details:
Sydney FC v Central Coast Mariners
Isuzu-UTE A-League, Round 22
Saturday, March 30th, 2024
Allianz Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney
Kick Off: 7:45pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+ & 10BOLD
Purchase Tickets here
