And then there were four in the Liberty A-League Finals Series.
Premiers Melbourne City, defending champions Sydney FC, Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners are the last team standings as the Semi-Finals await.
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The Jets won their first ever Finals fixture after outlasting Western United at the end of extra time on Saturday night, setting up a two-legged showdown with Melbourne City.
Sydney will face Central Coast in the other Semi-Final after the Mariners stunned Melbourne Victory on penalties in Sunday’s Elimination Final.
How to watch the Finals Series?
Don’t miss a minute of the Finals Series action! Watch LIVE on Paramount+ and 10Play.
Finals Series structure
For the first time in Liberty A-League history, six teams featured in a Finals Series including seven games across four weeks, ending with the Grand Final on May 4.
Melbourne City and Sydney FC finished first and second, booking their respective places in the Semi-Finals.
The first week of the Finals Series featured two Elimination Finals, with the two winners progressing to the Semi-Finals to be played across week one and two of the post-season.
Premiers City face the lowest-ranked Elimination Final winner over the two-legged Semi-Final – the Jets in this case, while Sydney FC will face the highest-ranked winner being the Mariners.
In the Semi-Finals, both Sydney FC and Melbourne City had the option to play the first leg of their respective ties either at home or away. Both clubs selected to travel for leg one, and host the return leg.
There is no “away goals” rule in the Semi-Finals. The highest-ranked club to book a spot in the Grand Final will be considered the “home” side for the title decider.
If two clubs are tied at full-time after both legs of a Semi-Final or the Grand Final, then 30 minutes of extra time will be played. Still equal after that? A penalty shoot-out to decide the winner.
Semi-Finals – Leg One
- Sunday April 21: Newcastle Jets v Melbourne City at Maitland Regional Sportsground (3:00pm AEST)
- Sunday April 21: Central Coast Mariners v Sydney FC at Industree Group Stadium (5:45pm AEST)
Semi-Finals – Leg Two
- Saturday April 27: Sydney FC v Central Coast Mariners at Leichhardt Oval (3:00pm AEST)
- Sunday April 28: Melbourne City v Newcastle Jets at AAMI Park (1:00pm AEST)
Week Four: Grand Final
- Saturday, May 4: SF Winner v SF Winner
