The Ninja A-League is back this weekend and aleagues.com.au has everything you need to know ahead of Round 6 of the 2024-25 season.
The Matildas are back for Round 6, with the end of the recent four-game friendly series against Brazil and Chinese Taipei leading the 14 Ninja A-League stars who featured for the international side back to their respective clubs.
A Sydney FC star is set to break an all-time appearance record this weekend, while this season’s surprise package team faces a stern test on the road and pressure builds for two rivals to turn momentum after challenging starts to the campaign.
Read on for a game-by-game preview ahead of Round 6.
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Melbourne Victory v Wellington Phoenix
Friday, December 12th – Home of the Matildas – 7:00pm kick-off AEDT
Melbourne Victory can jump above local rivals Melbourne City to the top of the Ninja A-League table with a win on the opening night of Round 6 – and head coach Jeff Hopkins will have Matildas stars Emily Gielnik and Alex Chidiac to select once again after their two-week break for international duty.
Gielnik is equal top scorer in the Ninja A-League after five rounds, with six goals to her name. The Victory sharpshooter scored for the Matildas against Chinese Taipei in Geelong last weekend and will return to her club high on confidence ahead of Friday night’s clash with the Phoenix.
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Wellington, meanwhile, are in form heading into Round 6. The Phoenix have won back-to-back games after three losses to begin the season – and captain Annalie Longo has been key to their recent success.
The New Zealand international scored twice in a shock 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar last weekend and comes up against her former side Victory looking to lead the ‘Nix further up the table from their current position in eighth.
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Western Sydney Wanderers v Western United
Saturday, December 14th – CommBank Stadium – 4:50pm kick-off AEDT
The winless Western Sydney Wanderers are under pressure to deliver this weekend, as they welcome Western United to CommBank Stadium as part of an A-Leagues double-header.
Robbie Hooker’s Wanderers have just one point on the board after five games; the Wanderers drew in Round 1 but have since lost four games in a row to plummet to the foot of the Ninja A-League table.
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With just two goals scored and 11 goals conceded, Western Sydney have a -9 goal difference – the worst in the league after five rounds. Led by reigning Julie Dolan Medallist Sophie Harding, the Wanderers’ attack simply hasn’t got going yet this season; with a team-wide shooting accuracy of just 37.8%, Western Sydney are the least-accurate team in the league so far and come up against a Western United outfit with a healthy 50.9% shooting accuracy.
Western United defeated reigning champions Sydney FC in Round 5. The statement result launched Kat Smith’s side into the top six, and with just one defeat on the board so far this season, the Green and Black are shaping up as a finals contender. In their two Ninja A-League seasons to date, Western are yet to miss a finals series.
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Brisbane Roar v Central Coast Mariners
Saturday, December 14 – Perry Park – 6:00pm AEDT
The big guns are back for Brisbane Roar, with Matildas duo Sharn Freier and Tameka Yallop both set to return to the club after starring for the national team in the international window.
Freier scored her first two ‘A’ international goals for the Matildas across the four-game friendly series against Brazil and Chinese Taipei, while Yallop featured in all four games (three as a starter) and notched a goal and two assists.
Brisbane missed their two Matildas last round, with a 2-1 loss to Wellington preventing Alex Smith’s side from jumping back to the top of the table.
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When in full flight, Brisbane have posed a fearsome threat to defences around the league so far this season; Yallop and midfielder Alicia Woods have created the most chances of any players in the league so far this season (13 and 12 respectively), with the team’s 11 goals for the season the second-most of any side through five rounds behind Melbourne City (13).
Brisbane face a resilient Central Coast Mariners outfit in Round 6. One of two unbeaten sides remaining in the league, the Mariners have won two games and drawn three to sit fifth on the table after five rounds. With just five goals conceded, the Mariners boast one of the best defensive records in the league and will welcome back Matildas defender Jessika Nash to the squad for their trip to Perry Park.
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Sydney FC v Newcastle Jets
Saturday, December 14 – Allianz Stadium – 7:45pm AEDT kick-off
FIXTURE UPDATE: Sydney FC v Newcastle Jets rescheduled
Sydney FC’s Championship defence is at risk of going off the rails if their form remains the same – and with just one win on the board through five games, Saturday night’s clash with ninth-placed Newcastle Jets provides the Sky Blues with a crucial opportunity to swing momentum.
Sydney currently sit one point behind the Jets in 10th, with last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Western United preventing Ante Juric’s side from jumping to within one point of the top six. Their only win of the season to date came against bottom-placed Western Sydney – a statistic Juric will be eager to address when he sends his team out to battle at Allianz Stadium.
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Should Sydney star Princess Ibini feature against the Jets, the 24-year-old will break the club’s all-time Ninja A-League appearance record of 145 set by legendary midfielder Teresa Polias in what will be a special occasion for all involved with the club.
The second game of an A-Leagues’ double-header on Saturday night sees the Jets travel to face the Sky Blues with recent Matildas debutant Natasha Prior back in the squad in a huge boost for the club.
Prior made her first three appearances for the national team in the recent international window and scored two goals from central defence.
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Melbourne City v Canberra United
Sunday, December 15 – AAMI Park – 7:45pm AEDT
League-leaders Melbourne City are back in action after a weekend off and will be out to extend their unbeaten run to six games as they welcome Canberra United to AAMI Park.
City have won three games and drawn two so far this season, scoring the most goals (13) of any team and conceding just seven to boast an equal league-high goal difference of +6.
Off-season signing Lourdes Bosch has been a revelation for Michael Matricciani’s side; the winger has put three goals and two assists on the board in just four games, with her 12 dribbles completed the second-most of any player in the league to date, behind Adelaide United’s Erin Healy (13).
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City welcome back four Matildas for this weekend’s clash with Canberra. With Leah Davidson, Laura Hughes, Bryleeh Henry and Karly Roestbakken all expected to return to City’s squad, Canberra have a big inclusion of their own with Michelle Heyman back in the mix after international duty.
The Matildas and Canberra legend has just one goal and one assist on the board through four games and after winning last season’s Golden Boot, will be determined to up her numbers – and there’d be no better way for Heyman begin a good run of form than with a dazzling performance against the league’s standout side over the first five rounds this weekend.
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Perth Glory v Adelaide United
Sunday, December 15 – Sam Kerr Football Centre – 8:00pm AEDT (5pm local)
Adelaide United are the Ninja A-League’s surprise package this season – but can they keep momentum rolling on the road against Perth Glory?
The Reds finished last in 2023-24 with just 15 points accrued through 22 games; this season, they already have nine points on the board having won three games out of five in a brilliant start to the new campaign.
Fiona Worts has been central to the early success with six goals; the Englishwoman is level with Emily Gielnik at the top of the Golden Boot leaderboard and will fancy her chances of adding to that tally against a porous Glory defence which has leaked 12 goals already this season.
Eleven of those goals were conceded in the first three rounds, however, and it’s no surprise Perth have been harder to score against in Matildas goalkeeper Casey Dumont’s first two games at the club.
Dumont has conceded just two goals in her first two games and saved a penalty in Glory’s slender 1-0 loss to Melbourne Victory in Round 5. The veteran made her 150th Ninja A-League appearance last weekend, becoming the only goalkeeper to reach that incredible appearance figure.
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