Sydney FC and Melbourne City will lock horns in the A-League Men Finals series semi-finals, with the first leg of the last-four contest set to take place in Sydney on Friday.
Melbourne comfortably finished top of the regular season table, picking up 55 points from 26 matches during a strong campaign, while Sydney were fifth, collecting 38 points from their 26 games.
Match preview
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Sydney FC have lifted the A-League Men Championship on five occasions, which is a record, with their last success coming in 2020, while they are four-time A-League Men Premiership winners.
The Sky Blues finished this season's regular season down in fifth position in the table, boasting a record of 11 wins, five draws and 10 defeats to collect 38 points, some 17 points behind winners Melbourne.
Steve Corica's side will enter this match off the back of a four-game winning run, including a 2-1 success over Western Sydney Wanderers in the elimination-finals on May 6.
Sydney were actually trailing until the 69th minute of the contest, when Robert Mak levelled the scores, before Adam Le Fondre netted the winner in the 80th minute to send his side through.
Corica's team would take on either Central Coast Mariners or Adelaide United in the final if they were successful in the semi-finals, and their result in the first leg on Friday is likely to be crucial.
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Melbourne, as mentioned, were comfortably the best team in the regular season, picking up 55 points from their 26 matches courtesy of a record of 16 wins, seven draws and three defeats.
City Blues have won the A-League Men Premiership on three occasions, including in the last two campaigns, but they have only won the A-League Men Championship once, which came in 2021.
Last season, Melbourne lost to Western United in the A-League Men Grand Final, so the team will be looking to go one better this term in order to claim the silverware.
Rado Vidosic's side will enter this match off the back of successive wins over Western United and Western Sydney Wanderers, but they have not been in action since April 28.
The relatively long break could potentially help Melbourne in the upcoming two-legged affair, while they are unbeaten in the league since the start of March.
Team News
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Sydney are expected to be without the services of Joe Lolley, who had to be substituted shortly after being introduced in the team's last game against Western Sydney Wanderers.
Head coach Corica could name the same XI that took to the field for the first whistle of the quarter-final, though, with Le Fondre and Mak again featuring in attacking areas.
There is also expected to be a spot in the starting side for Max Burgess, while Anthony Caceres should continue in a wide position for Sydney.
Melbourne, meanwhile, could be without the services of Nuno Reis through injury, with Thomas Lam on standby to come into the starting side for this match.
Mathew Leckie is also pushing to be involved from the first whistle, but it seems unlikely that either Jamie Maclaren, Marco Tilio or Andrew Nabbout will be dropped.
Maclaren has scored 24 league goals this season during an excellent campaign, while Tilio has contributed nine domestic goals during the current season.
Sydney FC possible starting lineup:
Redmayne; Grant, Rodwell, Wilkinson, King; Caceres, Brattan, Retre, Mak; Burgess, Le Fondre
Melbourne City possible starting lineup:
Glover; Talbot, Lam, Good, Bos; Berenguer-Bohrer, O'Neill, Van der Venne; Nabbout, Maclaren, Tilio
We say: Sydney FC 1-2 Melbourne City
Melbourne are undoubtedly the favourites, and Sydney will have to play very well over the two legs to beat them. We are expecting a tight match on Friday but believe that the away team's attacking quality will allow them to claim a narrow advantage ahead of the reverse fixture.
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