Sydney FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers

Saturday’s A-League action sees two of Sydney’s finest go head to head in a bid to catch up to the title chasing pack, as Sydney FC take on their counterparts Western Wanderers.

The home side lie in a promising position, fifth in the league and just four points behind second placed Adelaide United. However, with Auckland opening up a gap at the summit of the table, Sydney will know they can’t afford any more dropped points.

Wanderers lie a little further back, in 8th place, but only three points behind their city rivals. A win for the away side here would take them level on points, and then it’s anyone’s bet who comes out on top.

As the big derby game approaches, here is everything you need to know about both sides ahead of kick-off.

Key Statistics

• Sydney have netted 11 goals in their last five games, almost doubling the Wanderers total of five.
• They have also won all of their last four meetings with Wanderers, scoring 12 goals in the process.
• Western Sydney Wanderers are the highest scoring team outside the top six with 30 goals, even outsourcing table-toppers Auckland (24).
• However, they have conceded 27 goals, the most outside of the bottom two sides.

Sydney FC Preview

Sydney FC Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Harrison Davenish-Meares (GK); Jordan Courtney-Perkins, Kyle Shaw, Zachary de Jesus, Rhyan Grant; Corey Hollman, Leo Sena; Douglas Costa, Anas Ouahim, Joe Lolley; Patryk Klimala.

After a rare run of three games without a win, Sydney ended that streak in style with a 4-1 demolition of second placed Adelaide last time out. Three second half goals saw them coast to victory, and it begs the question of where that form was in the previous three matches.

Sydney have constantly been just out of the title conversation, just a smidgeon too far back for it to be realistic. However, with a win over their rivals, they would still be just close enough to have other sides looking over their shoulders, as a win would see them potentially move third.

However, derby games are never straightforward. With a little extra bite and animosity to them, things can get out of hand very quickly, and the game can swiftly get away from the leading side. Sydney need to make sure they keep their heads.

Western Sydney Wanderers Preview

Western Sydney Wanderers Predicted Lineup (4-4-2): Lawrence Thomas (GK); Anthony Pantazopoulos, Alex Bonetig, Joshua Brillante, Gabriel Cleur; Bozhidar Kraev, Oscar Preistman, Juan Mata, Nicolas Milanovic; Zachary Sapsford, Brandon Borrello.

With second place to eighth place separated by just seven points, Wanderers are not as far back as they may first appear. One of the most prolific sides in the league so far this season, they have more than enough firepower to blow any team out of the water.

However, their defence has let them down, frequently letting in goals when the game is still level, forcing the attackers to climb an uphill slope.

They lost out in an epic 4-2 defeat to Sydney FC in November, and there is strong evidence that this iteration will be just as exciting. But Wanderers will need to go away and look at how they defend against them, as their first attempt didn’t go according to plan.

Sydney FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers Head to Head

Recent Meetings:

• 23/11/2024: Sydney FC 4-2 WSW.
• 19/10/2024: WSW 1-2 Sydney FC.
• 13/04/2024: Sydney FC 2-1 WSW.
• 02/03/2024: WSW 1-4 Sydney FC.
• 25/11/2023: Sydney FC 0-1 WSW.

Sydney FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers Betting Tip

Only four A-League sides have scored 30 or more goals this season, and these two make up half that number. Going off that evidence, goals are almost guaranteed in this fixture, and we think it is safe to assume that both teams will score.

Sydney FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers Final Prediction

Sydney FC 2-1 Western Sydney Wanderers

While derby games can be unpredictable, we reckon the higher ranked home side have enough going for them here to down their Sydney competitors. The win will keep them in the title race, but they need to ensure this result springboards them into a positive run.