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Sydney welcome second-placed Central Coast Mariners to the Allianz Stadium in the A-League on Saturday (March 30).
With four games left in the regular season, the race for a top-six finish is heating up. The hosts are fifth, with 31 points from 21 games, while Central Coast are second with 40 points, three fewer than leaders Wellington Phoenix, but have a game in hand.
Sydney saw their eight-game unbeaten run snapped in a 2-1 loss at Wellington before the international break. Róbert Mak's sixth-minute strike helped Sydney take an early lead, but Phoenix made a comeback in the second half.
Central Coast, meanwhile, are unbeaten in last eight games across competitions and are coming off a 3-0 win over Macarthur. They beat Odisha 4-0 on aggregate, drawing goalless in the second leg of their AFC Cup inter-zonal semi-finals before the international break.
Sydney vs Central Coast Mariners Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have met 59 times across competitions, with Sydney leading 30-18.
- Their last nine meetings have seen Sydney winning six and losing three.
- Sydney have one win in four games across competitions, losing one.
- Central Coast have one loss across competitions since November, with that defeat coming at home to Sydney in the reverse fixture in February.
- Sydney have outscored Central Coast 39-38 in 31 league games and have the joint-best attacking record in the league.
- The Mariners have the best defensive record, conceding 22 goals.
Sydney vs Central Coast Mariners Prediction
Sydney are unbeaten in six home games in the A-League, with two ending in draws. They have won their last four home meetings against Central Coast and are the strong favourites. They have scored in three of their last four league games.
Patrick Wood, Joe Lacey and Aaron Gurd remain sidelined due to injuries, but Jake Girdwood-Reich is back from a suspension and in contention to start.
The Mariners, meanwhile, have seven wins in eight games across competitions, keeping six clean sheets. They are unbeaten in 12 away games across competitions. Sasha Kuzevski and Harrison Steele remain sidelined.
Their last seven meetings have produced over 2.5 goals. Considering the current form of both teams, another high-scoring game could ensue. The Mariners have the upper hand in terms of defensive performance and should eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Sydney 2-3 Central Coast
Sydney vs Central Coast Mariners Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Central Coast Mariners to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Joshua Nisbet to score or assist any time - Yes
