The only game on Saturday for A-League Semi Finals is between Western Sydney Wanderers and Central Coast Mariners. The opening kick-off is set to commence at 6.30pm with the game to be played at Pirtek Stadium. The favourite for the match is home team Western Sydney Wanderers. View our live scores and teams for the game between Western Sydney Wanderers and Central Coast Mariners.
Round: Semi Finals, Saturday April 26 at 6.30pm AEST.
Stadium: Pirtek Stadium
Head to head: Played: 7, Wins: Wanderers 2, Mariners 3, Draws: 2
Previous encounter: Mariners 2-1 Wanderers, March 29 2014
[iframe_loader width=”690″ height=”530″ src=”https://sportsnews.com.au/soccer/match.php?id=1042185″]
Odds Comparison:
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| Western Sydney Wanderers | 1.68 | 1.72 | 1.72 | 1.72 | 1.68 | 1.67 |
| Draw | 3.72 | 3.40 | 3.40 | 3.40 | 3.70 | 3.50 |
| Central Coast Mariners | 5.25 | 5.25 | 5.25 | 5.25 | 5.25 | 5.00 |
All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.
Teams:
Western Sydney Wanderers squad:
1.Ante COVIC (GK), 2.Shannon COLE, 3.Adam D’APUZZO, 4.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY, 6.Jerome POLENZ, 7.Labinot HALITI, 8.Mateo POLJAK, 9.Tomi JURIC, 10.Aaron MOOY, 11.Brendon SANTALAB, 13.Matthew SPIRANOVIC, 14.Kwabena APPIAH, 17.Youssouf HERSI, 18.Iacopo LA ROCCA, 19.Mark BRIDGE, 20.Jerrad TYSON (GK), 21.Shinji ONO, 22. Dean HEFFERNAN **Two to be omitted**
Ins: 17.Youssouf HERSI, 22. Dean HEFFERNAN (both promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 12.Tahj MINNIECON (hip – indefinite), 34.Golgol MEBRAHTU (knee – indefinite)
Central Coast Mariners Squad:
1. Justin PASFIELD (Gk), 3. Josh ROSE, 5. Zac ANDERSON, 6. Brent GRIFFITHS, 7. John HUTCHINSON (C), 8. Nick MONTGOMERY, 9. Mitchell DUKE, 11. Nick FITZGERALD, 12. Liam REDDY (Gk), Storm ROUX, 17. Anthony CACERES, 19. Matt SIMON, 20. Bernie IBINI, 21. Mile STERJOVSKI, 25. Eddy BOSNAR, 26. KIM Seung-yong, 27. Isaka CERNAK, 28. Glen TRIFIRO, 29. Matt SIM *two to be omitted*
Ins: 27. Isaka CERNAK, 29. Matt SIM (all promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 4. Marcel SEIP (knee – 1 week),10. Marcos FLORES (knee – season), 14. Michael MCGLINCHEY (on loan – Vegalta Sendai), 18. Michael NEILL (knee – season), 23. Adam KWASNIK (knee – season)
News:
Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic hailed his side’s progress into the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League at their first attempt as a “fantastic achievement”.
A 5-0 win over Chinese visitors Guizhou Renhe saw the Wanderers finish top of a group that also featured J.League powerhouse Kawasaki Frontale and former continental champs Ulsan Hyundai.
‘We lost the first game at home, so to turn it around in that fashion and get first place is a great result for this club… It is a fantastic achievement,” said Popovic.
‘To win four of five games since the opening game is a credit to us. The belief was still there (after the first game).”
The Wanderers were rarely troubled by an injury-hit Guizhou but it wasn’t until the final quarter-hour that the home side took the match by the scruff of the neck with a four-goal salvo.
‘We lost our way a little bit,” Popovic said of the failure to capitalise on Shannon Cole’s early opener.
‘The decision making wasn’t great, and we got a bit casual, got a bit complacent. Once we scored that second goal you could see the players relaxed. The ball movement was back and in the end it could have been anything.
‘But maybe scoring an early goal makes the players complacent. In the end it was a professional performance.”
The Wanderers will now take on the runner-up in Group F where A-League rivals Central Coast Mariners are still in contention alongside FC Seoul, Beijing Guoan and Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Popovic remains unperturbed about next month’s opponent in the two-legged Round of 16.
‘Whoever we play now we know that we are a chance,’ he said. ‘We are learning how to control a game better, we are learning all the time with each match.’
