We are set for a three match round this weekend following the quarantine of both Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix pending their reentry to Australia.
Match of the round comes in the form of a RBBless Sydney Derby on Saturday night, as the Wanderers look to clean sweep their cross-town rivals.
Elsewhere, the Mariners stare down the barrel of their 10th straight defeat when they welcome Melbourne City to Central Coast Stadium, while the Glory and Western United both attempt to consolidate their position in the top six.
I’ve previewed ALL three round 24 fixtures and provided my best betting plays along the way!
The Mariners play host to Melbourne City in what is set to be the biggest foregone conclusion of the season.
Central Coast are on track to record their 10th straight loss, in turn tightening their grip on the coveted A-League Wooden Spoon.
The Mariners took the game to Brisbane in the opening half of their round 23 fixture and should have taken an early lead if not for the heroics of Jamie Young.
Ultimately, the match was decided by a late first half strike from Scott McDonald, the Mariners looked resigned to defeat when play resumed the second half, showing no real urgency or hunger to compete.
Melbourne City can count themselves lucky in claim a point against the less fancied Wanderers. Jamie Maclaren found the back of the net for the first time in four matches, converting cooly from he spot to level the scores at one a piece.
The Mariners have all but checked out for the season, barring a complete capitulation from the Citizens I can only see this match ending one way.
City have enjoyed large wins across their last two meetings with the current cellar dwellers and I can see them controlling this contest from the get go.
Match of the round comes courtesy of the Sydney Derby on Saturday evening.
Western Sydney Wanderers will be playing a man short this weekend as the RBB are locked out of Bankwest Stadium, with the A-League erring on the side of caution in the midst of the COVID-19 saga.
The Wanderers have enjoyed recent success against the Sky Blues and are the only side to claim multiple wins against their rivals this season, claiming one-nil wins in both the home and away fixture.
Both sides enter the Derby off the back of disappointing draws, blowing countless opportunities to seal all three competition points.
With the intimidating, flare wielding RBB removed from the equation, this weekend provides Sydney FC a golden opportunity to get one back on their bitter rivals while taking a huge step towards claiming their third Premiership Plate in four seasons.
Round 24 wraps up late Saturday evening when Western United make their way across the Country to take on Perth Glory.
The result of this clash could have huge finals ramifications, with the Glory and United both currently sitting 5th and 6th respectively on the table.
With the steaks at an all time high, I can’t picture either team taking a backwards step in what is bound to be a blockbuster contest.
Western United have been playing out of their socks across the past month, seeing off CCM 6-2 followed by the Reds 5-1, with A-League’s all time top scorer and cereal pest Besart Berisha knocking in 4 goals across that trip.
Perth have managed to score multiple goals across their past six home fixtures, while the ‘both teams to score’ market has hit in five from their last six matches.
POSTPONED
POSTPONED