You can make history this weekend with the Hyundai A-League set to smash its aggregate round record with some bumper matches across the country.
Following a superb opening to the new season that saw more than 90,000 fans go through the gates across the five matches, that figure is expected to be dwarfed with a bumper round this weekend.
The previous round record stands at 100,998 from the opening weekend of last season.
But with a Sydney derby, David Villa’s first home match for Melbourne City and the always thrilling Adelaide United-Melbourne Victory clash on this weekend, the record is set to tumble.
“Record crowds are the best measure you can get of the A-League’s booming popularity,” FFA chief executive David Gallop told the Australian newspaper.
“Our target is to achieve a two million aggregate through the turnstiles for the first time in A-League history and we’ve made a great start with more than 90,000 fans at the opening round.
“The Sydney derby has become a ‘must see’ major event on the sporting calendar, and we’re really excited about Adelaide United’s first match at the new Adelaide Oval this Friday night.
“David Villa’s home debut for Melbourne City is another magical night for the competition and across the competition.”
The Sydney derby is set to sell-out with only 1500 tickets remaining, with a crowd between 41,000 and 42,000 expected at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Victory’s trip to Adelaide Oval to play the Reds should draw somewhere between 30,000 and 35,000, while Melbourne City should draw their biggest home crowd (outside a Melbourne derby) for Villa’s home debut against the Jets.
Some of the records tip to fall this weekend include:
*The biggest crowd for a Sydney derby. That record stands at 40,388 set last season.
*Adelaide United attracting their biggest crowd. The record is 25,039 for the match against Sydney FC at the old Adelaide Oval in 2007-08.
*Melbourne City attracting their biggest non-derby crowd. Their highest home attendance, excluding Melbourne Victory matches, was 13,752 against Sydney FC in February last year.
