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The A-League comes to its seasonal highlight for the second time in 2022/23 as the Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC face off in the Sydney Derby at CommBank Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:45pm (AEDT).
With both teams coming off the back of wins in Round 15, the Wanderers flying high in second on the ladder and the Sky Blues starting to show some decent form, tonight’s Sydney Derby looks set to explode.
Never a pleasant experience for the players, the match will likely turn into something of a bitter struggle between the competition’s greatest rivals and with finals action on the cards for both teams should they finish the season well, three points here could be crucial in terms of where they fall in 11 rounds time when the season proper is completed.
Western Sydney struggle to score, yet most teams struggle to score against them. As was the case last time out when the red and black men managed to hold out Western United for the 90 minutes and secure an excellent win at home.
Sydney bounced back to some better form with a 3-2, come-from-behind victory against the Mariners at Allianz and all of a sudden, loom as a team capable of squeezing into the top six come season’s end.
With Steve Corica pleased to have striker Adam Le Fondre back in form and the Wanderers hopeful of exposing what has been a sloppy and weak Sydney defensive half throughout the season, the potential storylines in this game are broad and almost impossible to predict. Sydney could be in rampant scoring mood or the Wanderers could simply stifle them at the back, leading to a goal on the counter.
Prediction
No quarter will be given and none asked for in what looks to be one of the spiciest Sydney Derbies for some time. The Wanderers will be firm at the back and Sydney hopeful of creating chances and managing the two or three goals that could well win it for them.
As tight as this one feels, something tells me that Sydney FC might just have what it takes, with a second-half goal that wins it for the Sky Blues.
Game information
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney Kick-off: 7:45pm (AEDT) TV: 10 Bold Streaming: 10Play, Paramount+ Odds: Wanderers $2.70, draw $3.30, Sydney $2.50 – odds via PlayUp
1. Andrew REDMAYNE (GK), 2. James DONACHIE, 4. Alex WILKINSON (c), 8. Paulo RETRE, 9. Adam LE FONDRE, 10. Joe LOLLEY, 11. Robert MAK, 12. Pat WOOD, 17. Anthony CACERES, 18. Diego CABALLO, 19. Adrian SEGECIC, 20. Thomas HEWARD-BELLE (GK), 21. Alex PARSONS, 22. Max BURGESS, 23. Rhyan GRANT, 25. Jaiden KUCHARSKI, 26. Luke BRATTAN, 28. Jake GIRDWOOD-REICH, 29. Aaron GURD.
