The A-League returns for its 20th season, with a blockbuster opening weekend to kick things off. Round 1features a Grand Final rematch and a Sydney Derby, on what is sure to be a thrilling round of action. Jack Tobin is here to take you through each Round 1 fixture and offer his best bets. Good luck to everyone following along this season!
A-League 2024-25: Round 1 Preview & Betting Tips
Central Coast Mariners vs Melbourne Victory
Industree Group Stadium, Friday 18th October, 7:35pm AEDT
Season 2024/25 kicks off in Gosford with a Grand Final rematch between the Mariners and Victory. Central Coast begins its quest for a three-peat with a vastly different looking squad, however they still have plenty of talent. The loss of Johnny Warren Medallist Josh Nisbet will hurt, however the acquisition of Socceroo Trent Sainsbury will sure up their defence. The major concerns for the Mariners will be around their midfield, which will be entirely different this season, than it has across the last two years.
The Victory have also undergone plenty of change, most notably in the managerial post with Patrick Kisnorbo taking over from Tony Popovic. It’s been a tricky start for Kisnorbo after losing an unloseable Australia Cup Final, and it seems it will take some time for the Victory to get his game style up and running. The beginning of the season will be the most difficult for the Victory.
The Mariners were the second-best team in the league at home last season with a 9-2-3 record, while Melbourne Victory only won four out of fourteen games on the road last season. Although they’ve lost a lot of quality in midfield, the Mariners were the second-best defence in the league last season, conceding only 27 goals in the regular season. Central Coast have won their last two games against the Victory and will get their season started with a gritty win at home.
Central Coast Mariners
$2.40 (1 Unit)
Auckland FC vs Brisbane Roar
Go Media Stadium, Saturday 19th October, 3:00pm AEDT
Auckland FC make their debut to begin Saturday’s three game slate, against Brisbane. The A-League’s newest side made some massive signings securing the best goalkeeper in the comp last season in Alex Paulsen, Dan Hall from the championship winning Mariners and Japanese star Hiroki Sakai.
The Roar will be looking to bounce back after three consecutive seasons without a finals appearance. The loss of Kai Trewin to Melbourne City and a lack of star signings doesn’t promote any optimism for a launch up the ladder this season. The Roar had the equal second worst defence in the league last season, and given the quality that Auckland possess, this will be a difficult encounter to start their season in New Zealand.
Given the unknown of what Auckland will produce despite the quality they have on paper, we’ll stay away from the head-to-head markets in this clash. In 20 of the 27 games Brisbane Roar played last season, both teams scored.
Both teams to score
$1.62 (1.5 Units)
Newcastle Jets vs Melbourne City
McDonald Jones Stadium - Saturday 19th October, 5:00pm AEDT
After years of uncertainty under unstable ownership, the Jets head into this season with their off-field matters sorted under a new ownership group, which will give Newcastle an opportunity to start making some progress on field. The Jets haven’t made the finals since 2017/18 and begin their campaign against Melbourne City who are also coming off a frustrating season.
After making the Grand Final in 2022/23, City bowed out in the opening week of the finals series to crosstown rivals Melbourne Victory last season, and have turned to youth as they look to get back to contender status. Melbourne City were one of the most potent attacking sides in the league last season, ranking third for goals (50) and will provide plenty of headaches for a below par Newcastle defence.
City are unbeaten in their last six A-League fixtures against the Jets, with a 4-2-0 record across that timespan. Newcastle haven’t beaten Melbourne City since 2021, and that record won’t be improving this weekend.
Melbourne City
$2.20 (1.5 Units)
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Sydney FC
CommBank Stadium, Saturday 19th October, 7:35pm AEDT
The most exciting fixture of the weekend takes place on Saturday night as another chapter of the Sydney Derby is written in Western Sydney. The Sky Blues come into this season with an abundance of hype after a stellar transfer window headlined by the signing of former Juventus and Bayern Munich star Douglas Costa. The Wanderers picked up former Chelsea and Manchester United star Juan Mata, adding plenty of star power to this rivalry.
The signings of Leo Sena, Anas Ouahim and Patryk Klimala give Sydney the best side on paper coming into this season, with a genuine shot at winning their first championship since 2019/20. They have added more talent to an attacking unit that scored the most goals in the league last season (52), which will cause the Wanderers plenty of issues.
The Sky Blues have won three of the last four Sydney Derbies, and come into this game in winning form after 4-0 and 5-0 victories in the AFC Cup group stage. Sydney FC will make a big statement against their rivals to open their campaign.
Sydney FC
$2.35 (2 Units)
Wellington Phoenix vs Western United
Sky Stadium, Sunday 20th October, 2:00pm AEDT
Sunday football kicks off across the ditch in Wellington as the Phoenix host Western United. Wellington come into this season on the back of a heart-breaking Semi Final defeat against Melbourne Victory, losing at home in extra time. Western United come into this season on the back of an 11th place finish in season ‘23/’24, without much reason for any optimism.
The Phoenix were the league’s best defence last season, conceding just 26 goals across 27 regular season games, an impressive feat given how high scoring the A-League was. Western United were the lowest scoring team in the league last season (36), making this a nightmare matchup for John Aloisi’s side.
Wellington were the best side in the A-League at home last season, with a 10-2-1 record at Sky Stadium, while Western United only won three of their fourteen away games last season. The Phoenix have a 10-1-3 record against Western United, and will continue their dominant record on Sunday.
Wellington Phoenix
$1.90 (2 Units)
Macarthur FC vs Perth Glory
Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sunday 20th October, 4:00pm AEDT
Round 1 concludes with Perth travelling east to take on Macarthur in Campbelltown. The Glory are coming off a horror season where they finished bottom of the table, despite having Adam Taggart who scored the most goals in the A-League last season (20).
Macarthur come into this season with massive off-field drama around their handling of former manager Dwight Yorke, but still managed to upset Melbourne Victory away from home to win the Australia Cup. The signings of Luke Brattan, Marin Jakolis and Chris Ikonomidis should keep Macarthur around the hunt for another finals berth.
Starting the season away from Perth is far from ideal given the Glory were nothing short of horrendous on the road last season, with a 1-3-9 record in away games - comfortably the worst in the league. The Bulls have had plenty of issues off field across the last twelve months, but keep finding a way to produce on field, and they shouldn’t have any troubles beating Perth.
