A blockbuster Sydney Derby between the high-flying Wanderers and Sky Blues at Bankwest Stadium highlights a bumper round of Westfield W-League action coming your way this weekend.
Round 6 kicks off with unbeaten Melbourne City hosting Perth Glory on Thursday before Bankwest Stadium gets its first taste of Sydney Derby action on Friday night.
There's plenty on the line this weekend in a spread of entertaining match-ups, and as usual there'll be a plethora of Westfield Matildas stars in the thick of the action.
High-flying City prepare for tough clash with confident Glory
Perth Glory embark on an away trip to face Melbourne City in Round 6 full of confidence after their last-gasp equalising goal against Newcastle in Round 5 earned them their first points of the Westfield W-League campaign.
But the challenges don’t get any easier for Bobby Despotovski’s side who face a City side speckled with Westfield Matildas stars.
With the likes of Lydia Williams, Emily van Egmond, Steph Catley, Ellie Carpenter, Aivi Luik, Kyah Simon and Emma Checker all on show, City have enough Westfield Matildas firepower on hand to dominate the league.
And that’s exactly what they’ve threatened to do in the opening five rounds of the season.
On paper it seems a mismatch of wild proportions but that won’t bother Despotovski and the Glory who will throw everything they have at City at ABD Stadium tonight (7:30pm AEDT).
PREVIEW: Melbourne City v Perth Glory
Second plays third in first Sydney Derby at Bankwest Stadium
Western Sydney Wanderers host Sydney FC at Bankwest Stadium on Friday night in what will be a monumental occasion in relation to both the outlook of the Westfield W-League table and the continued growth of women’s football in Australia.
The blockbuster event between two of the top three sides in the league will play out in front of a bumper crowd at the Wanderers’ glistening new home, and there will be plenty of Westfield Matildas’ on show for the adoring fans.
Alanna Kennedy enjoyed her first full 90-minute display of the Westfield W-League season against the Jets last weekend and will look to continue her return from injury against a Wanderers side featuring Amy Harrison who will come up against Chloe Logarzo in a crucial midfield battle.
Westfield Matildas striker Caitlin Foord will be looking to end her two-game goalless streak against the Wanderers, while teammate Princess Ibini chases her first goal of the Westfield W-League campaign.
Roar on a roll as they travel to face Victory
Hayley Raso has been phenomenal of late as Brisbane Roar soared up the Westfield W-League table on the back of consecutive wins, and the Westfield Matildas midfielder will be hoping to produce yet another stellar showing against Melbourne Victory this weekend.
Raso has scored three goals in the Roar’s back-to-back wins against Canberra and Adelaide United as her side bounced back from a sluggish start to the campaign.
Raso’s Brisbane teammates and fellow Westfield Matildas Mackenzie Arnold, Clare Polkinghorne, Katrina Gorry and Tameka Yallop have all impressed along the way as the Roar have leaped back into finals contention.
Their Round 6 opponents, meanwhile, have slipped to seventh after losing the Melbourne Derby in Round 5.
Westfield Matildas defenders in Jenna McCormick and Teigen Allen will need to be at their best to stop Brisbane from scoring after the Roar dispatched five goals over their last two outings.
PREVIEW: Melbourne Victory v Brisbane Roar
Canberra out to compound Reds’ misery
Canberra United can expect a tough contest when they travel to face an Adelaide United outfit desperate to earn their first points of the campaign on Sunday afternoon.
Adelaide sit at the foot of the Westfield W-League table without a point to their name, that’s not to say they’re deserving of their current situation; the Reds have been valiant in defeat week in, week out having lost by one goal in all four of their games to start the season.
Westfield Matildas goalkeeper Sarah Willacy made nine saves last weekend while Mary Fowler scored her second goal of the season but neither individual effort was enough for the Reds to overcome a relentless Brisbane Roar outfit.
Meanwhile, Westfield Matildas defender Karly Roestbakken and her Canberra teammates will arrive in Adelaide smarting from conceding a last-gasp equaliser to Perth Glory last weekend.
Canberra will show no empathy to the struggling Reds as they have a fight of their own on their hands; with three teams within one win of the Green Machine in fourth position, it’s imperative the visitors get another positive result to keep themselves in the finals frame.
PREVIEW: Adelaide United v Canberra United
