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Before we know it, the A-League finals will be upon us and by May 28th we will have our champion for 2021-22.
Match Week 25 could well play a key role in deciding the final make-up of the top six, with two crucial fixtures slated for four teams in the championship race up to their eye balls.
Victory and Wellington clash on Friday night in a third versus fifth battle that could tighten things up immensely should the visitors take the points and the sixth-placed Mariners have much on the line when they host Western United on Saturday afternoon.
Elsewhere, Perth have two more chances to save some face, Adelaide will look to hold their place on the ladder with a win against the Roar and Melbourne City return to A-League play after a so far successful time in the AFC Champions League bubble.
Good luck with your tips for the round and be sure to enter them in the sheet below to have a say in the second-placed voice of The Crowd.
Texi Smith’s lead is shrinking, but is there enough time to catch him? Here is the way the in-form panel sees all the Match Week 25 action unfolding.
Wellington, Central Coast, Draw, Adelaide, Macarthur, Draw, United, City
How fatigued are Melbourne Victory? They looked a bit like they were out of gas in that 1-1 draw with Brisbane Roar, while the Phoenix were buoyed by their 1-0 win over the Wanderers in Auckland. I reckon the Kiwi visitors can spring a surprise and take all three points from this trip to AAMI Park.
The finals are once again within touching distance for Nick Montgomery and his Mariners side. They had to work hard for that 4-2 win over the Jets, but they won’t be fazed by a visit from Western United. I suspect all three points will be staying in Gosford.
Yes, Perth Glory have a tonne of personnel missing, but they made life difficult for Adelaide United last time out and they’ll be hopeful of an appearance from Daniel Sturridge here. Mark Rudan has plenty of work to do to rebuild the disappointing Wanderers. This one could finish all square in the west.
The Reds have quietly gone about becoming one of the toughest teams in the league to beat under Carl Veart and they were good value for their 2-0 win over Perth Glory. Brisbane Roar are officially out of finals contention and likely to blood a few youngsters in this one. It’s hard to see how the Reds fail to win in front of their home fans.
How will the Bulls respond to the news Ante Milicic is out of here at the end of the season? With a win over the Jets, is my guess.
(Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images)
Brisbane Roar did well to hold Melbourne Victory to a point at home last time out, but they won’t enjoy the benefit of running out in front of a big crowd in this Tuesday night encounter. That said, they’ll come up against a Mariners side that has plenty of football in their legs, with this one likely to end up in stalemate.
It’s been a tough first season in the A-League Men for Arthur Papas. He has the makings of a decent team, but the Jets are short on quality in a couple of key areas and the suspension of Daniel Penha won’t help here. Three points seem to be there for the taking for John Aloisi’s visitors.
It’s safe to say the Daniel Sturridge experiment has been a failure for Perth Glory, but the club should be saluted for at least trying to sign a marquee. It won’t help them here, however, with Melbourne City set to return from their Asian exploits to dish out another defeat to the Western Australians.
Victory, Draw, Western Sydney, Adelaide, Macarthur, Central Coast, United, City
Victory, Central Coast, Western Sydney, Adelaide, Newcastle, Central Coast, United, City
All good things must come to an end and the Melbourne Victory are due for a loss. Yeah, right!
Sorry, Wellington, this Victory run is real and sustainable.
Western Sydney should comfortably beat Perth on the road, with the men in purple looking more dispirited as the weeks roll by. It is a sad state of affairs yet they must continue to show pride in that famous jersey and give their fans something to cheer for.
Central Coast versus Western United is a belter on Saturday afternoon and I will stick with the Mariners, a team that has been very good to me this season.
The Reds cannot afford a slip up at home and they should avoid it in front of what will be a juicy crowd in Adelaide.
I’ve no idea who will triumph when the Bulls and the Jets meet on Sunday afternoon, nor what effect the Millicic news will have on the home side. Go the Jets!
The Mariners hit the road for their Tuesday clash up north with the Roar and may well be under pressure should they have lost to Western a few days earlier.
Tipping Brisbane has not been the prudent ploy all season and I shan’t be starting doing so now. Western are on the road next Wednesday with Newcastle the host and John Aloisi will accept nothing less than the three points in what looms as a real danger game heading into the finals.
The final match of the round features a returning and in-form Melbourne City visiting Perth in a fixture they could win by five goals or more.
Victory, United, Western Sydney, Adelaide, Macarthur, Central Coast, United, City
Victory’s slog in the mud at Redcliffe on Monday may have taken a lot out of them, but they come up against a Phoenix side who were incredibly fortunate to get a win against a low-quality Western Sydney side last week. Back at AAMI Park under lights on a Friday night, still in the hunt for the premiership and backed by a raucous crowd, it will be a terrific second-half display from the home team.
(Photo by Mackenzie Sweetnam/Getty Images)
A blockbuster at Central Coast Stadium. Western United with a chance to hit top spot and the Mariners with a glorious opportunity to put daylight between themselves and the chasing pack. This has A-League classic written all over it and it will be the home side who have all the possession and opportunities in the first half, only to be frustrated at the break.
A double-Dylan demolition derby in the second half will have Dylan Pierias on the scoresheet in the 46th minute and then sub Dylan Wenzel-Halls will terrorise the Mariners defence and score twice more for the visitors. A statement victory for the nomadic Victorians that sees them sit briefly on top of the pile.
If there’s one team who can end Glory’s losing streak, it’s Western Sydney Wanderers. However, Sydney’s third club were so unfortunate in Auckland and will take that fight to the other extremity of the A-League in Perth. Expect a spirited display from the home team as they create chances, but ultimately Jack Rodwell will control this game and tee up goals for Tomer Hemed and Kejiro Ogawa in a professional performance from this under-fire team.
Brisbane Roar’s home displays continue to confound critics and win them admirers. It’s away from Fortress Redcliffe that they seem to have trouble asserting themselves. This is a good time to play Adelaide, who made a meal of dispatching basement boys Perth Glory last week.
They might be thinking their finals spot is all wrapped up now, so there could be an air of complacency. Brisbane will come out firing, but their endeavour will show no return and a gradual grinding down by the incessant United attack will eventually yield two late goals.
Macarthur’s slide down the table and out of the six has been alarming, especially for a team boasting world-class quality and players who can change games with a flick through the gears. Their dismantling by Victory last week was no surprise and the lack of form sees Newcastle in with a shout here.
The Jets themselves were unlucky to be denied an equaliser against the Mariners last week which could have altered the course of their night and their season. However, bad form must come to an end for one of these teams and it will be Ulises Davila as opposed to Beka Mikeltadze who provides the moment of magic to seal the points.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
It’s a must-win game for the Mariners in Redcliffe on Tuesday. A misty evening by the ocean on a heavy night will be a daunting prospect. Alex Parsons and Luke Ivanovic will fizz around the park leaving gaps for Henry Hore and Jay O’Shea to create a flurry of chances. However, Lewis Miller will strike in the second half to bring the Mariners within a sniff of a finals spot.
Who would have thought Western United versus Newcastle Jets could be a premiership-deciding game? If United have pretences to the throne, this is the sort of match that needs to be navigated with the ultimate precision. Jamie Young will be on top form this evening and in midfield, the sublime Rene Krhin will finally give us a taste of what he can do, dominating play with svelte touches and dynamic execution.
A late Archie Goodwin goal will be scant reward for the home team who are already three goals down, Aleksandar Prijovic with the pick of the bunch with a cheeky chip as the visitors set up a massive premiership-deciding final match day of the season.
Melbourne City’s return to domestic action is much anticipated and playing Perth Glory after their exertions in Thailand will be an exciting prospect for the neutral. Lose this, and retaining the premiership could be out of reach.
The importance of this game will not be lost on a tired-looking City and they will endure a torrid hour of home pressure to then nick the game with a goal on the break by Mathew Leckie. As slender as they come, this victory will show premiership-winning form at its best.
| Match week 25 | Mike | Simon | Stuart | Texi | The Crowd |
| MVC vs WEL | WEL | MVC | MVC | MVC | ? |
| CCM vs WUN | CCM | DRAW | CCM | WUN | ? |
| PER vs WSW | DRAW | WSW | WSW | WSW | ? |
| ADL vs BRI | ADL | ADL | ADL | ADL | ? |
| MAC vs NEW | MAC | MAC | NEW | MAC | ? |
| BRI vs CCM | DRAW | CCM | CCM | CCM | ? |
| NEW vs WUN | WUN | WUN | WUN | WUN | ? |
| PER vs MCY | MCY | MCY | MCY | MCY | ? |
| Previous total | 60 | 59 | 61 | 65 | 62 |
| Last week | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| New total | 62 | 62 | 65 | 68 | 66 |
As always, get involved as part of The Crowd and take on The Roar‘s panel of experts, including Paramount+ commentator Simon Hill, using the form below.