The A-League Men’s is back following the international break and the teams are all gathered in Sydney for this season’s Unite Round.
The exciting round’s six matches will be all be played at Allianz Stadium and headlining the weekend is the Sydney derby.
League-leading Melbourne Victory do battle with in-form Wellington Phoenix.
The last time both met, there was drama aplenty back in May for the Semi-Final second leg thriller where Victory edged the Phoenix 2-1 after extra time to make the Grand Final.
League newcomers Auckland FC will look to maintain their unbeaten run in following a bye in round four. They are yet to concede a goal in a history making start, but this will be their first match in Australia against 2024 Australia Cup champions Macarthur Bulls.
Perth Glory and Western United are both eyeing their first wins of the season as they come head to head.
Can Newcastle Jets buck the trend and finally defeat reigning champions Central Coast Mariners, who have won five straight against the Jet?
Adelaide will be out to stay undefeated as they face Brisbane who are yet to win in a match all but certain to be a shootout based on their previous meeting in April which saw Adelaide win 4-3.
Melbourne City will enjoy the week off as it’s their turn for the bye.
What happened last round
Melbourne Victory is on a roll, leaving their opponents in the dust week after week. Kisnorbo’s squad is clicking with smooth precision, executing their coach’s strategy flawlessly and leaving defences in shambles.
Unfortunately for Brisbane Roar, they suffered the same fate as Melbourne’s previous victims. They came to play their best, but were no match for the unstoppable force at AAMI Park. And even with their strong start, goalkeeper Duncan put on a show to keep them at bay.
But it was fan favourite Velupillay who stole the show, scoring a sweet goal with the help of Piscopo. And let’s not forget Geria’s superb header for the icing on the cake. 2-0, final score.
The 12,000 fans in attendance were treated to a brilliant display of football, now with Melbourne Victory sitting comfortably on top of the league. Sorry, not sorry, other teams.
With a 4-1 win over the Newcastle Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers have finally kicked their way up the rankings, leaving their opponents five points behind.
Anthony Pantazopoulos proved to be a star player for the home team, showing off his skills and nearly scoring a goal in the 60th minute. And let’s not forget Milanovic, who not only scored a hat-trick but also kept the Jets’ defence on their toes.
Oh, and Zac Sapsford? He casually added the fourth goal for the Wanderers.
The match between Adelaide United and Western United was a real nail-biter, but in the end, the South Australian squad came out on top with a 2-1 victory.
The visitors put up a good fight, even scoring the first goal thanks to Vidmar in the 10th minute.
But let’s just say that the Melbourne team’s defence was about as sturdy as a house of cards in a wind tunnel. They ended up scoring an own goal, which was a true unicorn in the world of Australian soccer, resulting in a tied game at 1-1.
But the real drama unfolded in the second half when the home team came back with a spectacular goal from Clough in the 71st minute.
And with a roar from the 11,000 United fans in the stadium, the team secured a spot in fifth place, just three points behind the leaders, Melbourne Victory. Doesn’t get much better than that.
Well, well, well, looks like the Phoenix have risen and are on fire! With a spectacular display of talent at the Industree Group Stadium, they managed to net three goals and rise to fourth place in the standings.
Watch out, Victory, because the Kiwis are just three points behind now.
And speaking of surprises, Macarthur pulled off a stunning upset against Sydney at Allianz Stadium.
It was a nail-biter until Jakolis swooped in for the winning goal in the 96th minute.
Talk about timing! But let’s not forget about the dominating performance of Melbourne City, who left Perth in the dust with an impressive 5-goal victory.
It was a rough night for the home team, who probably could have used some extra strength Tylenol after that one. Looks like City is showing no mercy and won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
Matchday 5 – Schedule AEDT
Friday 22/11
Perth Glory v Western United 5.30pm
Newcastle Jets v Central Coast Mariners 8pm
Saturday 23/11
Brisbane Roar v Adelaide United 5pm
Sydney FC v Western Sydney Wanderers 7.35pm
Sunday 24/11
Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne Victory 1.30pm
Macarthur Bulls v Auckland FC 4pm
Standings
Teams Win Draw Loss Points
1. Melb Victory 3.1.0.10
2. Melb City 3.0.1.9
3. Auckland 3.0.5.9
4. Well Phoenix 2.1.1.7
5. Adelaide Utd 2.1.0.7
6. Macarthur 2.0.2.6
7. Sydney FC 2.0.2.6
8. WS Wanderers 1.1.2.4
9. Newcastle Jets 1.0.2.3
10. CC Mariners 0.3.1.3
11. Western Utd 0.2.2.2
12. Perth Glory 0.1.3.1
13. Brisbane Roar 0.0.3.0
