Sydney vs Mariners Prediction 10 May 2024

The A-League semi-final brings us a very interesting matchup. Sydney is one of the most titled teams in the country, boasting several highly skilled foreign players with experience in top-tier championships. Central Coast Mariners, on the other hand, had an excellent regular season, finishing first in the table, and a few days ago became the AFC Cup champions. What can we expect from the first game, which will take place at “Sydney Stadium”?

Losses
Sydney - one of the few teams with absolutely no personnel losses. In the upcoming confrontation, Ufuk Talay will field his strongest lineup.
Central Coast Mariners, in turn, will not be able to count on 3 players. Defenders Smith and Kuzminski have been in the infirmary for a long time, last playing in the previous year. The absence of Ángel Torres (who was suspended at the end of April due to sexual assault charges) could significantly affect the team's attacking potential.

Head-to-Head
Sydney is a very uncomfortable opponent for Central Coast Mariners - the “sailors” have only won 1 victory in the last 8 head-to-head encounters. Moreover, on many occasions, the “sky blues” easily dealt with their opponent's defense - Sydney has scored a total of 23 goals (averaging 2.88 goals per game). In this case, the bet “Sydney Handicap (0)” seems maximally reliable.

Trends
- Over 2.5 goals have been scored in 7 of the last 8 head-to-head matches between these teams.
- Central Coast scores in 10 out of their last 11 matches in the A-League.
- Sydney has not lost at home in 10 consecutive matches.

Fouls
Sydney is a team that does not shy away from committing minor fouls - averaging 12.6 fouls per match. However, the “sky blues” are rarely awarded yellow cards for their antics - 1.4.
Central Coast Mariners, in turn, is one of the least rough teams in Australia - averaging 9.9 fouls per game. However, the “sailors” receive more yellow cards than Sydney - 1.6.
If we look at the foul statistics, there is a clear advantage for Sydney. Considering that the first match will take place at “Sydney Stadium”, Ufuk Talay’s charges will definitely give their all, making the bet “Fouls - Sydney wins” look very interesting.

Corners
Despite Central Coast Mariners being the top team of the regular season based on away points, the “sailors” act quite passively in attack on the road, which is evidenced by the trend - Central Coast takes less than 4.5 corners away in 7 out of their last 8 A-League matches. Interestingly, this bet also often comes true in head-to-head encounters.

Team Overviews
Sydney approaches the upcoming match in excellent spirits. Lately, Ufuk Talay's charges are hardly recognizable - if during the regular season the “sky blues” left many questions unanswered, in recent matches the team has improved on all fronts, securing 3 wins in 4 matches and confidently dealing with Macarthur in the quarterfinals (4-0). It’s worth noting that Sydney hasn’t tasted defeat at their home stadium for a long time - the team hasn’t lost in 10 matches, and the bet “Sydney Total Goals Over (1.5)” has come true in 8 cases.
Central Coast Mariners continue to pleasantly surprise with their results - just a couple of years ago, the team was at the bottom of the league table, and now they are seriously contending for championships and winning trophies. The “sailors” are especially good in attack - Mark Jackson’s charges have scored at least two goals in 6 of their last 8 matches. Why not bet on “Central Coast Total Goals Over (1.5)”?

Editorial Prediction
Obviously, the best regular season team is the main contender for the championship. But Sydney is a team with vast playoff experience and will do everything to fight for a spot in the final. Considering that Central Coast has lost in 5 out of their last 6 head-to-head encounters with these teams within the A-League, chances are definitely present for the hosts. “Sydney Win” is our key bet.

Below on the page, you will find detailed statistics of the playing teams and trends for many other markets