This Saturday will see the A-League Grand Final take place as Melbourne City and Central Coast Mariners meet to determine the overall champions of the league.
Melbourne City head into the game as the 2023 premiers after finishing first in the traditional table, and it was their opponents who wound up in second place.
Match preview
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The two most consistent teams of the A-League this season will meet in the Grand Final on Saturday after both of them were able to progress through the knockout stage of the competition.
Melbourne City dominated the traditional season to become the premiers, winning the league with an 11-point gap, but it was Central Coast Mariners who came second, showcasing how close things have been between them.
Rado Vidosic's men dominated the semi-final stage against Sydney FC, winning 5-1 on aggregate, which included a dominant 4-0 victory in their most recent outing.
Melbourne City blew away the competition in that match with three different goalscorers and an own goal from Jack Rodwell ensuring they would be in this position.
It is something the team certainly earned after losing just three games all season which is largely down to their incredible attacking qualities, which will no doubt be on display in this match.
However, Central Coast Mariners have not simply made up the numbers, and they will be out to get their hands on the trophy as well after a strong campaign.
Nick Montgomery's men were also dominant over the two legs in the semi-final as they defeated Adelaide United 4-1 overall to reach this match.
Much like their opponents this weekend, Central Coast Mariners come into this with confidence after securing a clean sheet in their most recent outing with a 2-0 win with goals from Samuel Silvera and Marco Tulio.
Defensively they have been just as strong, conceding just three more goals than Melbourne City throughout the season, proving once again how tight this final is likely to be.
The last meeting between the two teams resulted in a 1-1 draw in the second half of the season as well, showcasing that there is little to split these two.
Team News
Melbourne City captain Scott Jamieson will be hoping to feature in some capacity after he announced his retirement after this game, as he aims to wrap up his career by winning the Grand Final.
Aiden O'Neill was able to overcome an injury doubt to feature in the previous match, and it is likely that he will retain his place as the defensive midfielder.
Bradley Tapp is the only man who will be unavailable for Central Coast Mariners on Friday as it has been confirmed he will miss out due to injury.
Other than that Montgomery has a full squad to select, providing him with plenty of options heading into this match.
Melbourne City possible starting lineup:
Glover; Talbot, Lam, Good, Bos; O'Neill, Berisha, Van der Venne; Leckie, Maclaren, Tilio
Central Coast Mariners possible starting lineup:
Vukovic; Roux, Triantis, Kaltak, McGarry; Nkololo, Balard, Nisbet, Silvera; Cummings, Tulio
We say: Melbourne City 2-1 Central Coast Mariners
There has not been much to split these teams throughout the entire season, but when looking at the overall picture it is Melbourne City who will be the favourites, and they are expected to claim the trophy at the end of what should be a close game.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
