The Isuzu UTE A-League is back this weekend and aleagues.com.au has everything you need to know ahead of the final round of fixtures in the 2024-25 regular season.
Read on for a game-by-game preview ahead of Round 29.
*Bye: Adelaide United
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Central Coast Mariners v Brisbane Roar
Friday, May 2 – Industree Group Stadium – 7:35pm AEST
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Similar to Wellington Phoenix, it’s been a difficult season for Mark Jackson and Central Coast Mariners but the defending champions will be looking to send their fans home happy on Friday night.
Having lost a large number of the Championship-winning squad from last season, key injuries have also ravaged the Mariners at times this campaign with the latest being captain Trent Sainsbury, who will now be sidelined for a significant period of time after injuring his Achilles tendon.
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Currently 10th on the ladder and two points clear of the Nix, the Mariners know that a win will see them book a date with Perth Glory in Darwin for the Australia Cup play-offs.
Also travelling to the top end will be Brisbane Roar, who will face either the Mariners or the Phoenix in said play-offs.
Certainly the form team amongst the sides stuck in the bottom four places in the league, Brisbane have come alive in recent weeks and are unbeaten in their last three having beaten both Western United and Wellington whilst also drawing with Adelaide United.
Melbourne City v Sydney FC
Saturday, May 3 – AAMI Park – 5pm AEST
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Melbourne City welcome Sydney FC to AAMI Park on Saturday afternoon in a game that will have huge ramifications right across the top six.
Currently second on the ladder, City know that should they secure the three points against the Sky Blues then not only will that see them wrap up second place and with it a spot in next season’s AFC Champions League Elite, but it will also prevent their opponents from playing Finals football.
Should City draw against the Sky Blues, then they can still finish in second but they’ll need to hope both Western United and Western Sydney Wanderers fail to pick up wins whilst a defeat for City coupled with results elsewhere could see them finish as low as fifth on the ladder.
As for Sydney FC, a 1-0 loss to Western United in the penultimate round of fixtures has Ufuk Talay’s side twitching heading into their showdown at AAMI Park.
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Currently sat seventh on the ladder and a point outside the top six, the Sky Blues need just one more point in order to leapfrog Adelaide United on the ladder care of their superior goal difference and the fact the Reds have the bye on the final weekend of the season.
Furthermore, attacker Adrian Segecic will be hoping to add to his tally of 13 goals and clinch the Golden Boot outright, given he currently sits level with Adelaide’s Archie Goodwin.
If the last meeting between these two sides is anything to go by then we’re in a for a treat on Saturday evening as City defeated Sydney FC 3-2 at Allianz Stadium back in late March.
Western United v Auckland FC
Saturday, May 3 – Ironbark Fields – 6pm AEST
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Kicking off in Tarneit at the same time as the second half gets underway at AAMI Park, Western United will no doubt be acutely aware of just what’s required of them against the Premiers.
Sat third on the ladder, John Aloisi’s men will be able to snare second spot and that lucrative ACL Elite place if City fail to beat Sydney FC but in order to do so they’ll need to defeat the newly-minted Premiers.
Able to finish as high as second, Western could also finish as low as fifth on the ladder and therefore lose the right to host an Elimination Final, so they’ll be hoping results go their way this weekend.
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Officially declared Premiership winners before kicking a ball against Perth last weekend, Auckland FC duly dispatched the Glory before then hitting the town in celebration of their triumph.
Permitted a couple of days to party by head coach Steve Corica, the Black Knights will no doubt still be a formidable force when they arrive in Tarneit given Corica insisted he won’t be resting any of his stars heading into finals.
After being handed their first ever defeat by Western – a 4-0 thrashing at Go Media Stadium in Round 9- the Black Knights then got their revenge at Ironbark Fields by defeating Western 2-0 later in the campaign.
Macarthur FC v Western Sydney Wanderers
Saturday, May 3 – Campbelltown Sports Stadium – 7:35pm AEST
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Similar to Western United before them, Western Sydney Wanderers will take to the field against Macarthur Bulls knowing whether or not they can secure second spot on the ladder.
In order for that to happen the Wanderers will need Melbourne City and Western to both fail to pick up victories and they themselves would then need to beat local rivals Macarthur, something they managed to do the last time these two sides met back in February.
Currently sat in fourth spot, the Wanderers would still at least secure themselves a home Elimination Final should things stay as they are in the final round and, given the fact they’re currently 11-games unbeaten, nobody will want to come up against them in the post-season.
Nicolas Milanovic will also have a keen interest in finding the back of the net in this game, given he’s currently second in the race for the Golden Boot with 12 goals.
For Macarthur, head coach Mile Sterjovski will be looking to end what’s been a rollercoaster season on a high note having missed out on playing finals football.
Despite losing a plethora of key players during the season including the likes of captain Valere Germain and in-form winger Jed Drew, the Bulls boss managed to steer his side to within a whisker of playing finals and that should give the home fans plenty of hope heading into the new campaign, especially given Sterjovski will be at the helm.
Wellington Phoenix v Perth Glory
Sunday, May 4 – Sky Stadium – 3:00pm AEST
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*Originally scheduled to take place on Friday, May 2, Round 29’s clash between Wellington Phoenix and Perth Glory was postponed to Sunday, May 4. The Glory were set to fly to Wellington on Thursday however all flights were grounded due to extreme storms and winds in the area.
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Having signed a new one-year contract ahead of the 2025-26 Isuzu UTE A-League season, Wellington Phoenix boss Giancarlo Italiano will be hoping to round out the campaign with a win against Perth.
Currently occupying 11th spot on the ladder, the Phoenix have lost their last three matches coming into Sunday’s game and as such, now have an Australia Cup play-off to look forward to in Darwin.
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However, the fixture against lowly Perth does have some significance riding on it given a win for the Nix could see them finish the season in 10th place, therefore booking a date with the Glory in two weeks time given Perth will finish last this season.
When it comes to lowly Perth Glory, it’s been a difficult first season in charge for head coach David Zdrilic.
Condemned to a second straight wooden spoon, the Glory boss will be hoping a positive result against Wellington will help them build some momentum heading into said Australia Cup play-offs as they bid to secure a spot in the Round of 32.
Melbourne Victory v Newcastle Jets
Sunday, May 4 – AAMI Park – 5pm AEST
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Rounding out the regular season will be Melbourne Victory and Newcastle Jets, with both sides looking to put on a show at AAMI Park.
Having already secured a spot in the finals, Melbourne Victory will take to the field on Sunday afternoon knowing whether or not a second-placed finish is still attainable or at least a home Elimination Final can be secured.
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Currently fifth, Victory can finish second if Melbourne City, Western United and the Wanderers all lose and they then beat Newcastle (with at least a four goal swing) while a top four finish can be achieved if they secure the three points against the Jets and either Western or the Wanderers fail to do so.
As for the Jets, head coach Rob Stanton will oversee his final game in charge before departing the club after two years at the helm.
Assured of a ninth-place finish in the league and automatic entry into next season’s Australia Cup, the Jets players will no doubt be looking to either convince the club that new contracts should be handed out or even impress the new manager set to take charge.
