The first leg of the A-League Women semi-finals get underway this weekend, with premiers Melbourne City and second-place Melbourne Victory taking on the winners of the elimination finals – the Central Coast Mariners and Adelaide United.
Read our preview of all of the Matildas at Home action below.
Central Coast Mariners v Melbourne City
Date: Saturday, 3 May
Kickoff: 2.15pm AEST
Venue: Central Coast Stadium
Broadcast: 10Play and Paramount+, and 10Bold
Tickets: Ticketek
The Central Coast Mariners will have to do what no other team has done this season if they are to reach their first ever Grand Final – beat Melbourne City.
City are the undefeated premiers and come into both legs of this two-legged tie as heavy favourites. However, finals can be a different game altogether. The Mariners will rely on their renowned defensive organisation and some newfound clinical finishing if they are to overcome City.
Taylor Ray has been named in the Mariners squad despite picking up what looked to be a potentially serious ankle injury in the elimination final against Canberra. City will be without striker Mariana Speckmaier as she as unable to overcome the injury of her own.
Holly McNamara is expected to lead the line for City and will be a handful for the Mariners to shut down. Leah Davidson, Laura Hughes, Bryleeh Henry and Karly Roestbakken will also be available for City.
Jessika Nash will have added defensive responsibility in the back line if Ray is unable to take the field on Saturday.
Adelaide United v Melbourne Victory
Date: Sunday, 4 May
Kickoff: 4pm AEST
Venue: Coopers Stadium
Broadcast: 10Play and Paramount+
Tickets: Ticketek
Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory face off in a semi-final clash that is truly unpredictable.
Given the exceptional seasons of both teams, not making the final would be considered a disappointment. Both teams picked up more than enough points that, had they done so last season, they would have been premiers. Victory is on a 12-game unbeaten run while Adelaide won their first-ever finals game last week.
Key for the Reds will be the fitness of stars Chelsie Dawber and Erin Healy, both of whom were only fit enough for the bench last week. For Victory, Emily Gielnik returns after missing their final game of the regular season and will hope to bring her usual clinical finishing to both legs of the semi-final.
Matilda McNamara scored the only goal of the game for Adelaide last week but, more importantly as a defender, kept a clean sheet – she’ll be hoping to replicate that with her defence against Victory.
Gielnik, Alex Chidiac and Alana Murphy will all be central to Victory’s efforts to advance.
