Round 5 is set to continue this weekend, and with the final four games of the round still to play, aleagues.com.au has everything you need to know.
The fifth round of the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season began on November 30 with two games; Melbourne City beat Western Sydney Wanderers, and Canberra United suffered the same fate against Central Coast Mariners.
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Now, the remaining eight teams are set to face off in four fixtures scheduled for Sunday, December 8 in a football feast to wrap up your weekend.
Read on for a game-by-game preview ahead of the final four games of Round 5.
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Sunday, 2:00pm AEDT: Wellington Phoenix v Brisbane Roar
Porirua Park – Paramount+ / 10 Play
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Wellington Phoenix are back on home soil after a week off and will look to keep momentum rolling after a surprise 1-0 win over Adelaide United in Unite Round.
Headed across the ditch to take on the ‘Nix in New Zealand are the high-flying Brisbane Roar; Alex Smith’s side have won three consecutive games after an opening-round loss to Canberra United and are one of the in-form teams in the competition.
Brisbane’s early-season success has been built off the a solid backline which has conceded just three goals, the midfield dominance of Alicia Woods and Momo Hayashi as well as the star-power possessed by CommBank Matildas forward Tameka Yallop; the veteran Roar star will face a race against time to get up for Brisbane’s Round 5 game on Sunday evening after Australia’s friendly clash with Chinese Taipei in Geelong, Victoria on Saturday night.
Brisbane’s excellent start to the season is highlighted by head coach Alex Smith’s nomination for Coach of the Month, and the inclusion of four Roar players in Player of the Month contention: Hayashi, Yallop, Woods and Chelsea Blissett.
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Sunday, 5:00pm AEDT: Western United v Sydney FC
Ironbark Fields – Paramount+ / 10 Play
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Western United and Sydney FC are two sides under pressure to perform in Round 5, as they sit eighth and ninth on the Ninja A-League table respectively.
Kat Smith’s Western have won just one game to date this season – as have Ante Juric’s Sky Blues. The reigning Ninja A-League champions began the season with two losses but have since defeated Western Sydney and drawn with Melbourne City to arrive at Round 5 with a respectable run of form building.
Sydney will be without Hana Lowry but not for the reason they expected before the Matildas convened for international duty; Lowry had received the first call-up of her career ahead of friendlies against Brazil and Chinese Taipei but suffered a season-ending injury in Sydney’s Unite Round clash with City.
Western United haven’t won since Round 1; a 4-2 triumph over Wellington Phoenix preceded draws to Central Coast and Newcastle Jets and a thumping 4-1 loss to Melbourne Victory in Round 3.
Western have made the finals in both of the club’s first two seasons in the Ninja A-League and will not want to remain outside of the top six for long; Smith’s side will likely be back in the finals spots after the weekend should they beat Sydney on the Sky Blues’ first visit to Ironbark Fields.
Sunday, 5.30pm AEDT: Adelaide United v Newcastle Jets
ServiceFM Stadium – Paramount+ / 10 Play
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Adelaide United return to ServiceFM Stadium eager to make up for their Unite Round slip-up against the previously-winless Wellington, with a 1-0 defeat to the Phoenix resulting in Adrian Stenta’s side dropping out of the top four.
Now the Reds sit sixth, just one point above Newcastle Jets in seventh who will be eager to cause a boilover in Round 5.
The Jets have lost just once this season and have taken four points from a possible six in their last two games. Head coach Ryan Campbell has a tough selection decision on his hands, with regular No.1 goalkeeper Danielle Krzyzaniak available to play after a suspension in Round 2.
Krzyzaniak sat out the Jets’ Round 3 win over Wellington but Tiahna Robertson kept a clean sheet, resulting in Campbell’s decision not to restore Krzyzaniak back to the starting XI in a 1-1 draw with Western United in Unite Round.
Whether Krzyzaniak or Robertson start against Adelaide, either keeper is set for a challenge at ServiceFM Stadium as in-form Fiona Worts looks to add to her four-goal haul to start the season and challenge Melbourne Victory striker Emily Gielnik at the top of the Golden Boot leaderboard.
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Sunday, 8:00pm AEDT: Perth Glory v Melbourne Victory
Sam Kerr Football Centre – Paramount+ / 10 Play
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It’s set to be a special night in Western Australia on Sunday as Perth Glory host Melbourne Victory in the very first Ninja A-League game hosted at the newly-developed Sam Kerr Football Centre.
The Sam Kerr Football Centre, named after one of Western Australia’s greatest-ever football products, opened in 2023 and after functioning as a training base for multiple nations during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, will now serve as Glory’s Ninja A-League home ground for the very first time.
The hosts have three points on the board through four games and return to action after drawing with Canberra United in Unite Round. New signing Casey Dumont made her club debut in that fixture and will look to make appearance number two for Perth against her former side Victory, who are in good form heading into Round 5.
Victory sit fourth with two wins, one draw and one loss on the board through four games but their hopes of defeating Perth will be severely impacted by the availability of Golden Boot leader Emily Gielnik, who is likely to miss this weekend’s fixture on Matildas duty.
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