
Melbourne City vs Western United Grand Final Tips, Prediction & Preview
Rivals Melbourne City and Western United battle it out in the Grand Final on Saturday night at AAMI Park.
Rivals Melbourne City and Western United battle it out in the Grand Final on Saturday night at AAMI Park.
Adelaide United host the Mariners on Sunday at Hindmarsh in an exciting elimination final.
The first instalment of the 2021/22 A-League finals series sees Western United battle it out against Wellington on Saturday night at AAMI Park.
Melbourne City need to beat Wellington Phoenix in order to win the Premiers Plate when the two sides square off in the A-League on Monday night.
Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC conclude the A-League regular season when they square off in Redcliffe on Tuesday night.
Macarthur and Western Sydney look to end their campaign on a high note on Sunday at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
Adelaide United look to make it five on the trot, whilst Western United will be hunting the premiers plate.
Melbourne Victory have a chance at the minor premiership as they prepare to face Sydney FC in the ‘Big Blue’ on Saturday night in the A-League.
The Central Coast Mariners end their regular season campaign against the Jets on Saturday night.
Wellington Phoenix look to start building some momentum before the finals when they come up against the Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League on Thursday night.
Newcastle look to upset Western United on Wednesday night at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The 2021/22 A-League season looks set to be another competitive year with all sides holding aspirations of winning the premiership.
Our expert A-League tipsters pick out the Best Bets and Value Selections for all games throughout the season and keep you on top of all the A-League betting tips.
Macarthur FC look to extend their unbeaten start to the season and maintain their spot at the top of the ladder when they come up against Sydney FC for the second time this season, while it’s second up against third as Western United and Melbourne Victory battle for supremacy – read on below for all of the Round 6 fixtures and click on the highlighted links for full match previews and expert tips.
Newcastle Jets vs Western Sydney Wanderers
It’s been a great start to the season for the Jets, but they failed to take advantage of a 10-man Macarthur last week to go down 2-1, while the Wanderers and ex-Jets coach Carl Robinson are under immense pressure after picking up just one win from their five games this season and falling to the Mariners 2-0 last time out.
Melbourne Victory vs Western United
Both teams have put together great starts to the season, with United in second spot on the ladder on the back of four consecutive wins and Victory in third after three wins and a draw with reigning premiers and cross-town rivals Melbourne City last weekend. Winner could have the chance to go top of the table.
Macarthur FC vs Sydney FC
Sydney FC finally claimed their first A-League win of the season in Round 4 against Wellington and will now target revenge over top-of-the-table Macarthur, who toppled them 1-0 earlier this season. Macarthur have been strong in defence and overcame the Jets 2-1 despite being reduced to 10 men in the 20th minute.
Central Coast Mariners vs Wellington Phoenix
The Mariners are looking good to start the season and they have a great chance to continue that positive form when they come up against a Wellington side who have lost their last three games and are languishing in second-last spot on the ladder.
Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City
Brisbane are enduring a nightmare start to the season, scoring just one goal and anchored to the bottom of the ladder. Melbourne City haven’t hit their stride yet, but it appears only a matter of time before they start to click again. City beat Roar 2-1 to launch the new season last month and will be looking for a repeat result here.
Bookmaker bet365 stream all A-League games live online throughout the season* including during the finals series.
The regular season is over 27 rounds in the regular season before four weeks of finals, culminating with the A-League Grand Final.
To find out how to watch live streams, read our guide on how to watch A-League soccer live online.
*Coverage of A-League games is restricted in certain countries due to broadcasting rights.
Under Australian law, we are required to inform you that Live Streaming is exempt from Parts 3 and 4 of the Broadcasting Services (Online Content Service Provider Rules) 2018. Our entire service, including Live Streaming, is only for persons aged 18 years and over. You must take all reasonable steps to ensure that any person under the age of 18 does not view Live Streaming
Check out the latest A-League betting odds.
Betting on A-League has grown in popularity with a number of ways to place bets on soccer increasing dramatically in recent years. From simply backing the winner or result of a single match to predicting premiership winners, top goalscorers, wooden spoonists and whether or not a player will be yellow or red-carded, the opportunity to bet on A-League soccer has never been greater.
A rundown of some of the types of bets you can place on A-League games is below:
Match Betting: Simply back the result, whether you think it will be a home win, an away win or a draw.
Correct Score: Predict the correct score in the game.
Over/Under Total Goals: Bet on whether you think there will be more or less than 2.5 goals in the game. If it ends 1-1, then it is under 2.5 goals. If it ends 3-2, then it is over 2.5 goals. Other totals are available – usually 0.5, 1.5, 3.5 and 4.5.
First Goalscorer: Predict who will get the first goal of the game.
Both Teams To Score: If you think both teams will find the back of the net in the game, then this is the bet for you.
Handicap Betting: Bookmakers offer you the chance to bet on the result of the game but where one team starts with a handicap (usually one or two goals).
Premiership Betting: Back the team you think will be crowned premiers by winning the A-League Grand Final.
Wooden Spoon: Back the team you think will finish bottom of the ladder at the end of the regular season.
Top Goalscorer: Predict who will finish the season as the A-League’s leading goalscorer.
The A-League was officially announced as a successor to the old National Soccer League (NSL) back in 2004, with the inaugural competition beginning in August, 2005. The NSL was immensely popular since it’s inception following Australia’s qualification into the 1974 World Cup, however during the turn of the century several factors – including a lack of sponsorship deals, poor ratings and players heading overseas – led to its demise and the formation of a new national competition – the A-League.
Eight founding teams were a part of the first A-League season, including Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners, Melbourne Victory, Newcastle Jets, New Zealand Knights, Perth Glory, Queensland Roar and Sydney FC. Only three NSL sides made the transition to the A-League – Adelaide United, Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory, while the Queensland Roar and New Zealand Knights were formed from previous NSL clubs Brisbane Lions and New Zealand Football Kingz.
Since it’s inaugural season in 2005/06, the A-League has continued to soar in popularity, with the Hyundai Motor Company sponsoring the competition throughout it’s current 11-year history. During the 2007/08 season Wellington Phoenix replaced the New Zealand Knights, while Gold Coast United and North Queensland Fury were introduced in an expanded 2009/10 competition, however due to financial instability, they were both removed in the 2011 and 2012 seasons respectively. Melbourne Heart were awarded an A-League license and joined the competition in the 2010-11 season, They’ve since been taken over by the City Football Group and were rebranded as Melbourne City ahead of the 2014-15 season. Western Sydney Wanderers also joined the A-League in the 2012/13 season and they enjoyed incredible immediate success, becoming the first Australian side to win the Asian Champions League in 2014/15. Queensland Roar were also renamed to Brisbane Roar in 2009 ahead of the two other Queensland sides entering the competition.
Western United is the newest A-League club having entered the competition in the 2019/20 season.
The A-League also isn’t just of national interest, with the competition being broadcast in more than 170 countries worldwide over the last few years.
The A-League is made up of 11 teams from across Australia and New Zealand. Just four current clubs existed before the A-League was formed – Adelaide United, Brisbane Roar (as Queensland Lions), Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory.
Gold Coast United, New Zealand Knights and North Queensland Fury used to play in the A-League.
Team ⚽️ | City | Stadium | Capacity |
Adelaide United | Adelaide, South Australia | Coopers Stadium | 16,500 |
Brisbane Roar | Brisbane, Queensland | Suncorp Stadium | 52,500 |
Central Coast Mariners | Gosford, New South Wales | Central Coast Stadium | 20,059 |
Melbourne City | Melbourne, Victoria | AAMI Park | 30,050 |
Melbourne Victory | Melbourne, Victoria | AAMI Park/Marvel Stadium | 30,050/56,347 |
Newcastle Jets | Newcastle, New South Wales | McDonald Jones Stadium | 33,000 |
Perth Glory | Perth, Western Australia | HBF Park | 20,500 |
Sydney FC | Sydney, New South Wales | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium/Leichhardt Oval | 20,505/20,000 |
Wellington Phoenix | Wellington, New Zealand | Sky Stadium/Eden Park | 34,500/50,000 |
Western Sydney Wanderers | Sydney, New South Wales | Bankwest Stadium | 30,000 |
Western United | Wyndham, Victoria | GMHBA Stadium/Mars Stadium | 36,000/11,000 |
Team | Champions | Year(s) won | Premiers | Year(s) won | Total combined |
Sydney FC | 5 | 2006, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2020 | 4 | 2009-10, 2016-17, 2017-18 | 9 |
Melbourne Victory | 4 | 2007, 2009, 2015, 2018 | 3 | 2006-07, 2008-09, 2014-15 | 7 |
Brisbane Roar | 3 | 2011, 2012, 2014 | 2 | 2010-11, 2013-14 | 5 |
Central Coast Mariners | 1 | 2013 | 2 | 2007-08, 2015-16 | 3 |
Adelaide United | 1 | 2016 | 2 | 2006-06 | 3 |
Melbourne City | 1 | 2021 | 1 | 2020-21 | 2 |
Newcastle Jets | 1 | 2008 | – | – | 1 |
Western Sydney Wanderers | – | – | 1 | 2012-13 | 1 |
Perth Glory | – | – | 1 | 2018-19 | 1 |
Team Records
Player records
Rank | Player | Goals | Games | Goals per game | Position |
1 | 🇽🇰 Besart Berisha | 142 | 236 | 0.60 | Forward |
2 | 🇦🇺 Jamie Maclaren | 104 | 149 | 0.70 | Forward |
3 | 🇳🇿 Shane Smeltz | 92 | 190 | 0.48 | Forward |
4 | 🇦🇺 Archie Thompson | 90 | 224 | 0.40 | Forward |
5 | 🇳🇿 Kosta Barbarouses | 77 | 261 | 0.30 | Forward |
6 | 🇦🇺 Alex Brosque | 75 | 243 | 0.31 | Forward |
7 | 🇺🇾 Bruno Fornaroli | 74 | 124 | 0.60 | Forward |
8 | 🇦🇺 Matt Simon | 66 | 288 | 0.23 | Forward |
9 | 🇦🇺 Mark Bridge | 63 | 251 | 0.25 | Forward |
10 | 🇮🇪 Andy Keogh | 59 | 145 | 0.41 | Forward |