Saturday football preview: A-League – 24 April

Samuel Green 1619081199,1619081368

The race for the A-League Premiers Plate hots up on Saturday night as four of the competition's top five take to the field in a pair of blockbuster clashes.

First up in Gosford, the Central Coast Mariners aim to reclaim their place at the top of the table against defending Premiers, Sydney FC, before league frontrunners Melbourne City make their first trip to face Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Stadium.

Alen Stajcic's outfit have taken the competition by storm in the 2020/21 campaign but a slip-up against Western United last week saw the Yellow and Navy lose their spot at the A-League's summit, meaning a response against the Sky Blues on Saturday will be crucial to reignite their Premiership ambitions.

Steve Corica's fourth-placed Sky Blues visit Central Coast Stadium for the 5.05pm AEST kick-off with an eye on pulling level on points with this season's surprise packages should they claim all three points, following a pair of draws against Melbourne City and Adelaide United over the past fortnight.

Patrick Kisnorbo's table-toppers surged into first place after a stretch of red-hot form that saw them in win eight of their last 10 matches, culminating with a 7-0 humbling over crosstown rivals Victory in last week's Melbourne Derby – a thumping which triggered the firing of Navy Blue head coach Grant Brebner.

The fifth-placed Bulls welcome City to Campbelltown Stadium for the first time in the 7.10pm AEST kick-off, with Ante Milicic' start-up club also seeking to equal the Mariners' current tally of 30 points as the race for silverware cranks up to another level on Saturday night.

NEWS: Victory appoints Tony Popovic
FEATURE: Alou Kuol's European dream realised along rise to A-League stardom

Melbourne City v Melbourne Victory | Match Highlights | A-League

Match details

Central Coast Mariners v Sydney FC
Saturday, April 24 2021
Venue: Central Coast Stadium
Kick-off: 5.05pm AEST
Broadcast: Fox Sports 505, ABC TV
Stream: MyFootball Live App, Kayo Sports

How to follow the action

Match Centre: Live updates, videos and statistics

Follow @ALeague on Twitter and join the conversation using #CCMvSYD #ALeague

Tipping

What is your tip?

Thanks for your tip

Match details

Macarthur FC v Melbourne City
Saturday, April 24 2021
Venue: Campbelltown Stadium
Kick-off: 7.10pm AEST
Broadcast: Fox Sports 505
Stream: MyFootball Live App, Kayo Sports