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Sydney FC will host a Grand Final for the first time since season 2005/06 after prevailing in a tumultuous Semi-Final against Perth Glory in front of just under 22,000 at the Sydney Football Stadium.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Sydney FC 3
Perth Glory 0
Week two of the A-League finals kicks off with a monster clash as premiers and champions-elect Sydney FC host a red-hot Perth Glory outfit at the Sydney Football Stadium. Join The Roar from 7:50pm (AEST) for live commentary and debate in our live blog.
To many the Glory were not supposed to win last week, but nobody told Diego Castro and company, who romped home in a historic away win that made Melbourne City look second rate.
Castro, winner of the 2015-16 Johnny Warren Medal, is the favourite for many to go back-to-back after a stellar season summed up perfectly in last week’s performance.
Goals from Castro and Chianese were enough last week to secure a semifinals berth, where an ominous and silverware-hungry Sydney FC side await them.
Sydney will come into the match refreshed after a week off, but they’ll be no less determined to pick up where they finished the home and away season. Sydney lost only one game in the regular season and have not lost at the Sydney Football Stadium since 2 April 2016.
The Sky Blues finished the season 17 points ahead of the second-placed Victory as one of the most well-rounded sides the competition has ever seen. The statement that this Sydney side supersedes Ange’s phenomenal Brisbane outfit is justified by the list of records broken by the Sky Blues this season, which include longest undefeated streak and fewest goals conceded in a season.
This impressive record held by the premiers will act as extra incentive for the Glory, who will be out to test Sydney’s defence.
The Glory have a plethora of attacking options, which has resulted in them being the second-highest scoring team in the competition with 53 goals – the attacking trio of Castro, Taggart and Keogh scored 31 goals between them in the regular season.
However, it remains to be seen whether Perth’s defence is capable of nullifying Sydney’s attacking arsenal – the Glory conceded the most goals in season 2016-17, conceding three goals or more on seven occasions.
Sydney came out on top in all three meetings against the Glory this season, with their last match being in March when the Sky Blues left nib Stadium with three goals and the three points. That game ultimately acting as a turning point for the Glory, who have not lost since.
Sydney also have recent history on their side, having beaten their Western Australian opponents in all of their last four meetings.
Sydney add Aaron Calver and George Blackwood to their provisional squad for this match; however, they are expected to field an unchanged line-up after defeating the Jets two weeks ago.
Likewise, the Glory will most likely not make too many changes, naming Joe Mills and Reece Oxborrow into their provisional squad.
The visitors have been specialists in scoring early goals this season, having scored ten times inside the first 15 minutes. An early goal will be key for the Glory to have a chance in progressing to the grand final.
However, Sydney have been heavily praised for a reason this year and should have no difficulty in going through to the grand final.
So will the Sky Blues continue where they left off, or will the Glory produce another emphatic upset? Join The Roar from 7:50pm (AEST) to find out!
Prediction: Sydney 2-0.
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