Aussies Abroad Preview: Ryan & Mooy prepare for final game of season, Smith eyes Premier League football
Aaron Mooy and Maty Ryan prepare for their final fixture of the season against Burnley on Monday morning while Brad Smith’s Cardiff City are on the hunt for promotion as they enter the Championship playoffs.
Maty Ryan and Aaron Mooy will take to the pitch for Brighton & Hove Albion in the final matchday of the season at Turf Moor on Monday when they will meet Burnley at 1am*.
The Brighton duo already confirmed their Premier League status last time out against Newcastle United meaning that they can enter this fixture not having to worry about the relegation battle.
Another clean sheet against Burnley would take Ryan’s tally to double digits for the second time, having already managed 10 shut-outs in his first campaign with the Seagulls back in the 2017/18 season.
In the English Championship, Massimo Luongo and Brad Smith’s respective campaigns came to an end on Thursday morning as the final round of the competition was played.
Luongo was introduced just after the 50th minute mark for Sheffield Wednesday as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Middlesbrough.
Wednesday finish the campaign in 16th and will be striving for better next season.
Smith came on for the final five minutes for Cardiff City as they ran out 3-0 winners against Hull City.
They tied up 5th spot and will face off against 4th placed Fulham in the upcoming playoffs on Tuesday morning AEST.
Over to the Turkish Super Lig and Aziz Behich’s championship winning Istanbul Basaksehir will round off their season when they travel to Kasimpasa at 2am on Monday.
Behich’s side confirmed their status as league champions on Monday morning thanks to their 1-0 victory against Kayserispor.
They will still be in party mode as they celebrate their milestone achievement but that should not stop them from getting a result on Sunday as they look to end their record-breaking season on a positive note.
Over to the Danish Superligaen where Awer Mabil was in action on Thursday morning.
Mabil started and played just over an hour for Midtjylland as they drew 1-1 away to Brondby.
Mustafa Amini and Alex Gersbach were absent for AGF Aarhus as they posted a 1-1 draw at Nordsjaelland.
The final round of the season will take place on Monday at 3am as Mabil’s side face off against Aalborg while AGF host Brondby.
Over to Japan and Mitch Langerak played a full game in goal for Nagoya Grampus as they registered a 3-0 win against Oita Trinita on Wednesday night.
Thomas Deng was absent for Urawa Red Diamonds as they slumped to a 4-0 defeat at home to Kashiwa Reysol.
Langerak and his side meet Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their next fixture with proceedings set get underway from 7pm on Sunday while Deng’s Urawa will also be in action at the same time when they visit Yokohama FC.
In the Korean K League, Brandon O’Neill will be in action for Pohang Steelers on Sunday night when they take on Incheon United at 8pm.
It will be case of the league’s most in form side coming up against the competition’s out of form side with Pohang on a six game unbeaten run while Incheon prop up the ladder, without a win this season.
These two sides already squared off against each other at the end of May, with the Steelers securing a 4-1 triumph on that occasion.
Adam Taggart and Terry Antonis will feature for Suwon Bluewings when they go head to head against Gwangju FC at 9pm on Saturday night.
Gwangju only sit one place above Suwon in 9th place and are just one point better off heading into this fixture.
A win or even a draw will see the Bluewings leapfrog their opponents thanks to their superior goal difference.
The last time they met it was Gwangju who came out on top thanks to the solitary goal in the dying moments of the encounter.
*All times displayed are in AEST
