With only six points between 2nd and 10th, CommBank Matildas have ample opportunity to impact their side’s prospect in the A-League Women’s this week.
Read our preview of all of the Matildas at Home action below.
The round kicks off in Hobart on Saturday, 2.15pm AEDT as Western United will have the opportunity to solidify their position in second place against the Central Coast Mariners. Chloe Logarzo has been in fantastic form for Western, with two goals and two assists in her last four games, and will be hoping to add to her tally on Saturday. Meanwhile, Kyah Simon returned to the pitch for the Mariners last week and can be expected to continue building minutes from the bench.
Adelaide United will be looking to build off their shock win over Perth Glory last week when they take on Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday, 5pm AEDT. The Reds lifted themselves off the bottom of the table with that win and another victory at home could increase the gap between themselves and Canberra United to four points. The Wanderers are currently clinging onto sixth place – albeit with a game in hand – and three points could be crucial to the finals race.
The Brisbane Roar will hope to repeat their win from round one when they take on Melbourne Victory on Saturday, 6pm AEDT. Tameka Yallop will be crucial for the home side after her performance that yielded both a goal and an assist last week.
Alex Chidiac and Elise Kellond-Knight are expected to start in midfield for Victory, while Emily Gielnik may be in line for her first start of the season. Meanwhile, there was unfortunate news as the club confirmed on Thursday that Lydia Williams would be ruled out for the foreseeable future after requiring ankle surgery.
Sydney FC host Perth Glory in a battle of third against fourth on Saturday, 7pm AEDT. Both teams have been rocky at times but possess plenty of quality in yet another match that could have serious implications on the ladder. Jada Whyman and Cortnee Vine are both expected to start for the Sky Blues.
On Sunday, 5pm AEDT, bottom-placed Canberra United face off against top-of-the-table Melbourne City. While it looks like a mismatch on paper Canberra are full of firepower, with the joint Golden Boot leaders both belonging to the team in green, and they’ll be hoping to exploit any defensive weaknesses of Melbourne City.
Finally, Newcastle Jets take on Wellington Phoenix at the same time, 5pm AEDT. Both sides now lay outside of the top six but know that the tightness of the table means that any result could be hugely significant. However, the Phoenix will have to conquer their malaise away from home – as well as reckon with the loss of their goalkeeper Rylee Foster through suspension.
You can watch all of the A-League Women’s action on 10Play and Paramount+.