Opinions are beginning to be formed after two rounds of the new Hyundai A-League season with some surprises at both ends of the ladder.
There’s another huge serving of entertainment to come in Round 3 with a Grand Final rematch in Newcastle and Melbourne City’s date with Sydney FC among the highlights.
Here’s how you can keep across it all this weekend.
THE WHISTLE: Round 2 refereeing and VAR incidents explained
WATCH FOR FREE: How to watch the Hyundai A-League LIVE and FREE
BEST XI: Hyundai A-League Team of the Week for Round 2
Melbourne City v Sydney FC
Friday, 7:50pm (AEDT)
Top spot will at least temporarily be decided when Melbourne City host Sydney FC in what shapes as an epic at AAMI Park.
Both teams are unbeaten after collecting four points from their first two fixtures and looking are to set a quick pace at the summit.
Sydney FC will perhaps enter with more momentum following their derby triumph but hosts City, fresh from snatching a late draw away to Central Coast Mariners, are not short on confidence.
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 Western Sydney Wanderers
Saturday, 5:35pm (AEDT)
Wellington Phoenix are unbeaten and ticking along nicely under new boss Mark Rudan, who will demand three more points in the first ‘Super Saturday’ clash.
Sunday’s scoreless draw against Brisbane Roar demonstrated a newfound resilience that will serve the Kiwi side well against a Western Sydney Wanderers outfit to seeking to release their derby frustrations.
Markus Babbel will be banned from the touchline, but you can expect his team to come out firing.
How to watch: Tune in to FOX SPORTS 505 to see what happens at Westpac Stadium from 5:30pm (AEDT).
Newcastle Jets v Melbourne Victory
Saturday, 7:50pm (AEDT)
Ernie Merrick insists Grand Final revenge isn’t on his mind but the McDonald Jones Stadium faithful might disagree when Melbourne Victory come to town.
Newcastle Jets are in slightly better shape than their opponents following a handy, hard-earned point in South Australia that opened their account for the new campaign.
Victory, meanwhile, are still searching for the right formula after their second-half fightback against Perth Glory ended in a deflating 3-2 defeat and left them propping up the competition.
How to watch: Tune in to FOX SPORTS 505 or watch the Grand Final rematch LIVE and FREE on 10 Boss or tenplay, with kick off at 7.50pm (AEDT). You can also stream it live on the MyFootball Live App.
Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar
Saturday, 10:00pm (AEDT)
Are Tony Popovic’s men the real deal?
Backing up their thrilling late win over Victory with another big result against Brisbane would go a long way to establishing Perth as the team to beat.
It won’t be easy, though, with Roar themselves still undefeated and itching to turn flashes of promise into something more convincing than two straight draws.
How to watch: Tune in on FOX SPORTS 505 at 10:00pm (AEDT) for a blockbuster end to ‘Super Saturday’, or watch through the MyFootball Live App.
Central Coast Mariners v Adelaide United
Sunday, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Not unlike Rudan at Wellington, Mike Mulvey appears to have infused the Mariners with a hardened edge.
Their spirit was obvious in the battling draw with City that nicely sets a home clash with Adelaide, who fought back bravely to rescue a result against Newcastle last time out and have the FFA Cup Final to contend with on Tuesday.
The chance for either team to move three points ahead of their opponents on the ladder makes for a tantalising conclusion to the weekend’s action.
How to watch: See how Round 3 finishes on FOX SPORTS 505 from 5:00pm (AEDT) or tune in on the MyFootball Live App.
