The Ninja A-League 2025-26 season rolls on this weekend and aleagues.com.au has everything you need to know ahead of Round 8.
Read on for a game-by-game preview ahead of Round 8.
FIXTURE NEWS: Ninja A-League fixture between Melbourne City and Adelaide United postponed
Newcastle Jets v Melbourne Victory
Friday, December 19 – No.2 Sportsground – 7:00pm AEDT
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Current table position
Newcastle Jets: 3rd
Melbourne Victory: 2nd
Round 7 result
Newcastle Jets: 3-0 win over Brisbane Roar (A)
Melbourne Victory: 1-0 win over Adelaide United (H)
Two of the early title chasers will open the round when second placed Melbourne Victory head up to Newcastle to take on the third placed Jets.
Newcastle have been particularly impressive early in the season, just three points off league leaders Canberra, with two matches in hand.
There should be no shortage of firepower on display in this match, with both teams coming in with some in-form goalscorers.
Melbourne Victory with league joint top scorer Kennedy White and Newcastle Jets with Lauren Allen and Melina Ayres scoring two goals each across the last four matches.
This marks the middle of a three match home stand for Newcastle at the No.2 Sportsground.
Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC
Saturday December 20 – Porirua Park – 2:00pm AEDT
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Current table position
Wellington Phoenix: 9th
Sydney FC: 6th
Round 7 result
Wellington Phoenix: 1-0 loss to Perth Glory (A)
Sydney FC: 2-0 loss to Canberra United (A)
Sydney FC travel to Wellington in the hope of steadying themselves in the top six, while Wellington will be aiming to keep themselves clear of the bottom of the table.
Both Wellington and Sydney have put in some strong defensive performances to start the season, conceding just the four goals each so far. However they have both been held goalless in their last two outings.
English forward Brooke Nunn has been creating plenty of chances for the Phoenix. With 10 so far this season she is the only player inside the top six for chances created not playing for Melbourne Victory or Canberra United. Alas, this hasn’t translated to goals for the Kiwis.
Meanwhile Sydney goalkeeper Tiahna Robertson has started the season well, jointly leading the league in clean sheets with three, having made 16 saves.
Canberra United v Central Coast Mariners
Saturday December 20 – McKellar Park – 5:30pm AEDT
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Current table position
Canberra United: 1st
Central Coast Mariners: 4th
Round 7 result
Canberra United: 2-1 win over Melbourne City (H)
Central Coast Mariners: 2-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers (A)
Canberra United host the final match of their three-game home run on Saturday afternoon against the Central Coast Mariners.
Antoni Jagarinec’s Canberra are certainly coming into this clash in fine form. They’ve won their last four, Michelle Heyman has three goals from those four matches and they’re on top of the table.
Central Coast Mariners aren’t all that far behind though. They’re 4th on the table, just four points back and, crucially, with a game in hand.
Midfielder Izzy Gomez has continued her strong form through the start of the season, bagging two goals, the most recent of which came in the Mariners 2-1 win over the Wanderers.
A win for Canberra will establish them as the unquestionable form team across the league, while a win for Central Coast will keep all of the top four teams within a win of top spot.
Perth Glory v Adelaide United
Sunday December 21 – Sam Kerr Football Centre – 8:00pm AEDT
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Current table position
Perth Glory: 8th
Adelaide United: 10th
Round 7 result
Perth Glory: 1-0 win over Wellington Phoenix (H)
Adelaide United: 1-0 loss to Melbourne Victory (A)
After four straight losses, Perth Glory earned their first win since Round 1 last weekend when midfielder Susan Phongsongkham scored their first goal in over a month as they won 1-0 against Wellington.
Adelaide have had a difficult stretch themselves, with losses to top six sides Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory either side of the bye.
Perth Glory have conceded the most goals out of everyone so far this season, and Adelaide will be looking to exploit this to turn the tide.
The Reds have been persistent in wide areas, ranking high in league crosses. They’re led by Isabel Hodgson and Emily Condon with 23 and 22 completed crosses to their names respectively.
Being able to convert these into genuine chances will go a long way to seeing Adelaide home.
