The Hyundai A-League’s Summer of Heroes is over and now we begin the march to the Finals Series with another five big games to look forward to over the next three days.
There’s no doubt where the headline fixture is though, with Melbourne Victory taking on Sydney FC in the traditional Australia Day Big Blue on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Wellington Phoenix will look to keep their top-four hopes going when they entertain Melbourne City, while it’s a basement battle between Brisbane Roar and Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday night.
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Read on to find out how to watch all of this weekend’s Hyundai A-League action!
Viewers from outside Australia can find out how to watch by CLICKING HERE.
Brisbane Roar v Western Sydney Wanderers
Friday, 7.50pm (AEDT)
It’s a battle of two desperate teams on Friday night as the Roar and Wanderers face-off with both looking for a win to breathe new life into their 2018/19 Season.
The Wanderers will somehow need to pick themselves up from Tuesday night’s heart-breaking 4-3 loss to Melbourne City where they conceded twice in the last six minutes.
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It continued a recent trend of late fadeouts from Markus Babbel’s side, who will need to rectify that if they are to snap their club-record six-game losing streak.
Roar’s current form is equally as poor, without a win in any of their last 10 Hyundai A-League games and coming off a scrappy 1-1 draw with bottom-placed Central Coast Mariners last weekend.
With the gap widening between the top six and the chasing pack, this is a must-win for both sides if they are to keep their Finals Series hopes alive.
The teams’ circumstances may just ensure 90-minutes of drama, excitement and tension at Suncorp Stadium.
How to watch: Tune in to FOX SPORTS 505 to catch the Friday night fixture, which kicks off at 7:50pm (AEDT). You can also stream the match on the MyFootball Live App, which is live, fast and data-free for Telstra mobile customers.
Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne City
Saturday, 5.35pm (AEDT)
The Phoenix’s nine-game unbeaten run came to an end on Wednesday as they went down 1-0 at home against Sydney FC.
As a result, Mark Rudan’s side missed the chance to close the gap on Melbourne City in the top four.
But they get another shot to do just that on Saturday as Warren Joyce’s City head to Westpac Stadium buoyed by their dramatic late 4-3 win over Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday night.
While Wellington have striker Roy Krishna in outstanding form with 11 goals for the campaign, makeshift City frontman Ritchie De Laet also heads into this one in strong touch following his double against the Wanderers.
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It was City who prevailed when these two sides met in Round 4, but the Phoenix are a much more formidable outfit now and won’t want to lose back-to-back games in front of their home fans.
How to watch: Don’t miss a minute of the action on FOX SPORTS 505 from 5:35pm (AEDT) on Saturday afternoon.
Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC
Saturday, 7.50pm (AEDT)
Nothing says Australia Day like a Big Blue in Melbourne and this year’s edition promises to be a ripper as second meets third at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
Victory saw themselves leapfrogged by the Sky Blues on Wednesday night after Sydney FC came away with a priceless 1-0 win over the Phoenix in Wellington.
It continues a purple patch of form for Steve Corica’s men, who have lost just one of their last eight games.
But it will be interesting to see how they deal with the travel back from New Zealand to take on a Victory side that had the luxury of a full week’s preparation for this clash.
Kevin Muscat’s troops played out a thrilling 3-3 draw against the Phoenix in their last outing and have scored 10 goals in their last three fixtures.
These two fierce rivals have played out some juicy games in recent years so get set for another spine-tingling 90 minutes on Saturday night.
How to watch: See which shade of Blue will be victorious on Saturday night LIVE and FREE on 10 Bold or tenplay, and on FOX SPORTS 505, with kick off at 7:50pm (AEDT). You can also stream it live on the MyFootball Live App, Live Fast and Data Free for Telstra mobile customers.
Adelaide United v Central Coast Mariners
Sunday, 6pm (AEDT)
Adelaide United will be keen to get back in the winners’ circle as they host the lowly Mariners at Coopers Stadium on Sunday.
The Reds return home after holding league-leaders Perth Glory to a 0-0 draw at HBF Park on Wednesday night, to move back into fifth spot on the ladder.
It was a spirited performance from Marco Kurz’s men, who will probably feel aggrieved not to have taken maximum points in the west.
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Meanwhile, the Mariners slumped to a fifth straight F3 Derby defeat in their most recent clash, courtesy of their 1-0 loss to Newcastle Jets on Wednesday night.
It ended a two-game unbeaten run for the Gosford club, who have hit some decent form of late as they look to get off the bottom of the ladder.
Adelaide prevailed the last time these two sides met, winning 3-0 at Central Coast Stadium in November.
HOW TO WATCH: Tune in to FOX SPORTS 505 to catch Sunday’s intriguing contest, which kicks off at 5:00pm (AEDT). You can also stream it live on the MyFootball Live App.
Perth Glory v Newcastle Jets
Sunday, 8pm (AEDT)
There’s a crucial three points up for grabs in Perth in the final match of the weekend, for contrasting reasons.
Glory have seen their lead at the top whittled down to just two points after playing out a second consecutive goalless draw on Wednesday night, held by Adelaide United.
After scoring in all of their opening 13 matches, Tony Popovic’s troops have now been held scoreless in five of their last six halves of football.
The Jets boosted their hopes of making a charge for the top six with a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Mariners on Wednesday night.
The Hunter club have closed the gap to the top six to eight points but are well aware they need to keep the wins coming if they are to put the pressure on the teams above them.
But it won’t be easy against a Perth side that have dominated this match-up, losing just two of the last 21 meetings between the two clubs.
How to watch: Tune in to FOX SPORTS 505 to catch Sunday evening’s showdown. You can also stream it live on the MyFootball Live App.
