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Opinion

A-League fixture mayhem: Big teams heavily favoured

1st November, 2021
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Roar Guru
1st November, 2021
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The A-League finally revealed its full fixture list for season 2021-22 and with it the murmurs on social media got louder about the big teams being heavily favoured. Let’s have a closer look.

Adelaide’s season will be defined by two months – January and March – when they will play four and three matches away respectively.

If United can pick up points during these two critical months, finals football will become a real possibility.

If they fail, then the last month of the season does offer some respite with four home matches.

It’s statistically proven, though, to have a higher chance of playing finals you need to pick up points earlier rather than later in the season.

Brisbane Roar will have a difficult start in November, before December gives them a chance to build up the points tally with three home matches.

The draw should see Brisbane accumulate more than enough points, before they end the season in April with three out of four matches away from home.

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Perth Glory will experience one of the most brutal schedules in A-League history, playing only one of their first nine games at home and it looks likely they will be bottom entering Round 10 due to their horrendous schedule.

If Perth can somehow remain in touching distance, there are six games in a row at home in February and March, which will define the Glory’s season.

The three Victorian-based sides – Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City and Western United – face reasonably kind schedules, but with a couple of tricky months sandwiched in between.

Jake Brimmer of Melbourne Victory

(Photo by Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images)

The Victory should be the early competition pace setter with only one match out of their opening several interstate.

If they don’t pick up points early, they could be in trouble in the last month of the season with four interstate games.

City are favourites for the title and like the Victory, they should get off to a flyer with only one away trip during the opening two months. January and March look tough with multiple interstate trips.

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Western United will know their life will be much easier with wins earlier rather than later. Their run in from January onwards is filled with lots of travelling.

All the teams playing in NSW this season – Sydney, Western Sydney, Macarthur, Newcastle, Central Coast and Wellington – will have favourable draws due to the sheer number of matches being played locally.

They will face some testing times, if they don’t take points off each other though.

Sydney FC is a team that always seems to gets a favourable draw. Their season is packed with eight Saturday night matches, which is the most out of any team in the competition this season.

Adam Le Fondre celebrates.

(Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

The draw, funnily enough, is incredibly kind to them. January has two trips in a row to Melbourne and the season finishes with two away trips. Sydney should comfortably qualify for the finals with this easy draw.

The Wanderers have been dealt a good hand with the fixtures as well, only travelling late in the season. The club’s off-field dramas might negate their easy schedule though.

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Macarthur has those same off-field issues as the Wanderers, but their draw looks to be the easiest in the league.

The team that has outspent every other team in the off-season does not play two interstate games in a row at all this season and even with their dramas, a finals place should be assured.

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The Newcastle Jets will know it’s better to get the points early, because if they leave it too late, February and March could be quite daunting with multiple interstate matches.

The Central Coast Mariners also have an easy draw, with February the only month that looks tough.

The Wellington Phoenix, who will be stuck playing in NSW for another season, will have the benefit of the majority of the schedule being played at ‘home’. January and March look like tough months though.

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The season is only a few weeks away now and the so-called big teams will be happy with the schedule. The smaller clubs in the league might not feel the same way though.

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