Ante Juric’s Sky Blue squad return to Leichhardt Oval this Sunday afternoon for round 21 of the Liberty A-League. With a Premiership title on the line, Sydney FC will need to win two of the final three matches if they want to lift the plate for an A-Leagues record breaking fourth consecutive year.
The Sky Blues are entering the match-up in high spirits after a successful three-match wining streak, and seven consecutive undefeated games saw them launch to the top spot on the ladder last weekend. With only one point separating Sydney FC from equal second placed Melbourne City and Western United, a victory against Adelaide is crucial to achieve their Premiership ambitions.
Sydney FC will be looking to win their fourth back-to-back Premiership title and in turn potentially make their 11th Grand Final appearance. A Championship victory will mark their second uninterrupted title and their fifth championship overall.
Whilst their season won’t end with a Finals Series, second bottom Adelaide United will be looking to knock off the first placed Sydney FC in the hopes to avoid the wooden spoon. However, this will be a tough contest as the Sky Blues have never failed to score at home against their South Australian competitors.
One’s To Watch Striker Edition: Cortnee Vine and Chelsie Dawber
The battle of the strikers will take place this weekend as Cortnee Vine and Chelsie Dawber go face-to-face.
Matildas hero, Cortnee Vine, has had an outstanding Liberty A-League campaign for the 2023/2024 season. Equal fifth for the top goal scorers this season, and fourth all time goal scorer for Sydney FC, Vine is heading into the finals crusade in top form. Challenging Vine is not for the faint hearted. She is lightning fast and agile down the wing and has five assists this season alone. Having scored two doubles in back-to-back rounds, Vine will be looking to help seal a win this weekend.
Chelsie Dawber will be a fierce contender. Attempting 2.2 shots on average each game and 1.3 key passes, Dawber will be looking to go out with a bang. Dawber’s 2022 season was her most prolific after being awarded the Golden Boot. Named NPL Adelaide City’s top goal scorer in 2019 and 2020, Dawber continues to remain dangerous in front of the net and currently holds top spot for Adelaide United’s all time goal scorer.
Head-To-Head 2023/2024 Season:
| 10-6-3 | SYD-RECORD-ADEL | 4-3-12 |
| 20-0-4 | H2H | 4-0-20 |
| 9-0-0 | H2H IN SYDNEY | 0-0-9 |
| 46.3% | POSESSION PG | 51.1% |
| 1.5 | GOALS SCORED PG | 1.1 |
| 0.8 | GOALS CONCEDED PG | 2.2 |
| 16.6 | SHOTS PG | 11.8 |
| 6.7 | SHOTS ON TARGET PG | 5.2 |
| 8 | CLEAN SHEETS | 1 |
| 2.7 | SAVES PG | 3.7 |
| 250 | PASSES PG | 316 |
| 1.6 | YELLOW CARDS PG | 1.0 |
| 0 | RED CARDS PG | 1 |
Team News:
The Sky Blues will forgo Nat Tobin and Fiona Worts due to long term injuries. Their recovery is going well and is on track. A shock blow will see Kirsty Fenton miss the remainder 2023/2024 season after sustaining a ruptured ACL against Wellington Phoenix last Sunday.
Young guns Shay Hollman, Jynaya Dos Santos, Indiana Dos Santos, Zara Kruger, Maddie Caspers and Tahlia Franco will be in contention this week after returning from Young Matildas duty in Uzbekistan. The players took home the bronze medal in the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup.
Adelaide United will miss Mariah Lee, Erin Kontoutsikos, Katie Bowler and Emilia Murray whilst they recover from their respected injuries. Chelsie Dawber and Xiao Yuyi will be approaching their final matches with the Liberty A-League due to the conclusion of their loan contracts.
Last Time Out:
The teams last went head-to-head in round 5, with the result being a 3-1 victory for the Harbour City club. A double within six minutes from Fiona Worts and successful penalty shot from skipper Princess Ibini saw the hosts bleed blue. A goal from striker Hannah Blake in injury time gave Adelaide a chance to catch up to their visitors, but their efforts weren’t enough to keep the Sky Blues from recording their first three points since returning from Uzbekistan.
Match Details:
Sydney FC v Adelaide United
Liberty A-League Round 21
Sunday 24th of March, 2024
Leichhardt Oval, Sydney, Australia
Kick Off: 4:00pm AEDT
Gates Open: 3:00pm AEDT
Broadcast Live: Paramount+ and 10Play
Tickets: Click here
