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A dramatic season concludes when Premier’s Plate winners Melbourne City meet the Central Coast Mariners in the A-League grand final. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:45pm (AEST).
After another astonishing and brilliant season of A-League football, the two remaining teams will do battle in Sydney for the right to hold aloft the world’s most famous toilet seat.
Melbourne City lost on just three occasions throughout the home and away season, scored 61 goals and allowed just 32 to slip into their own net. The nearest team to them in terms of goal difference and attacking potency was the Mariners, with 55 successful strikes of their own and just 35 conceded. Those numbers make the two teams the class of the field in the race for the championship.
With four years of dominant football behind them and a reputation as the most consistent team in Australia, Melbourne City will enter the contest as favourites; but a loss would leave them with just one title to their name in that time, with the shock loss to Western United last season giving the Mariners belief in an upset.
City have the ability to lose on the big stage, despite possessing all the credentials that should see them primed and ready on the one day that really matters. The gritty Mariners will be looking to expose exactly what John Aloisi’s team did in last season’s decider, by jumping the men in sky blue with a frantic press that ruffles a team prone to hesitancy when placed under enormous pressure.
Should the Mariners cope with the occasion and manage to produce their best from the outset, Melbourne City will not have things they own way, despite many having already coronated Rado Vidosic’s team.
City’s front line of Mathew Leckie, Marco Tilio and Jamie Maclaren will hold the key to victory for the premiers… or be the reason for disappointment should they fail to fire in the most important match of the season.
Jason Cummings, Sam Silvera and Marco Tulio are the match winners for what will effectively be the home side, as CommBank Stadium rocks in a sea of yellow.
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Prediction
Melbourne City are the best football team in Australia – yet if there is any poetry left in the world, the Mariners will live the fairy tale and claim the championship in a true David vs Goliath upset.
I’m tipping that to happen and the Central Coast of New South Wales to be in raptures.
Game information
Venue: CommBank Stadium Kick-off: 7:45pm (AEST) TV: Channel 10, 10 Bold Streaming: Paramount+, 10Play Odds: Melbourne City $2.05, Draw $3.70, Central Coast $3.15 – odds via PlayUp
Squads
Melbourne City
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1. Tom GLOVER (GK), 2. Scott GALLOWAY, 3. Scott JAMIESON (C), 4. Nuno REIS, 6. Thomas LAM, 7. Mathew LECKIE, 8. Richard VAN DER VENNE, 9. Jamie MACLAREN, 10. Florin BERENGUER, 13. Aiden O’NEILL, 14. Valon BERISHA, 15. Andrew NABBOUT, 18. Jordon HALL, 22. Curtis GOOD, 23. Marco TILIO, 25. Callum TALBOT, 33. Matthew SUTTON (GK), 35. Raphael BORGES RODRIGUES, 37. Max CAPUTO, 38. Jordan BOS
Central Coast Mariners
3. Brian KALTAK, 4. Joshua NISBET, 5. James MCGARRY, 6. Maximilien BALARD, 7. Samuel SILVERA, 9. Jason CUMMINGS, 10. Matheus MORESCHE, 11. Beni NKOLOLO, 13. Harry STEELE, 14. Dylan WENZEL-HALLS, 15. Storm ROUX, 18. Jacob FARRELL, 20. Danny VUKOVIC, 23. Daniel HALL, 24. Yaren Sozer, 25. Nectarios TRIANTIS, 28. James BAYLISS, 31. Christian THEOHAROUS, 39. Miguel DI PIZIO, 98. Marco TULIO
