Why the 7th Place Team Could Shape the Weekend’s Outcomes as City Pursues the Coveted $1.27 Million Prize: The Run Home

As the 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League season approaches its conclusion with only two rounds remaining, there’s plenty at stake. The battle for the Premiership, places in the top six, the Golden Boot, AFC Champions League qualification, and automatic spots in the Australia Cup are all on the line.

With so many questions yet to be answered, the conclusion of the 2024-25 season in the Isuzu UTE A-League promises to be electrifying.

As we gear up for the Finals Series, here’s an overview of the current competition landscape.

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The Premiership

Auckland FC stands on the brink of securing the Premiership title this weekend as they welcome Perth Glory to Go Media Stadium in a crucial fixture during the regular season’s penultimate round.

With a six-point lead at the top of the standings, Auckland requires just a single point from their remaining two matches to clinch the Premiership title in what is their first campaign in the Isuzu UTE A-League.

Melbourne City, perched in second, remains the only team within striking distance of the Black Knights. However, with only two matches left, the Premiers Plate is virtually guaranteed to head across the ditch for the first time in Isuzu UTE A-League history.

City trails Auckland by six points and has a goal difference of +12 compared to Auckland’s +23. For City to have a chance of overtaking Auckland, the Black Knights would need to lose both their final fixtures against Perth and Western United, while City must secure substantial victories against Adelaide United and Sydney FC to close the current goal difference gap.

City is set to face Adelaide at home on Saturday night, and anything less than a victory will confirm Auckland’s status as the 2024-25 Premiers. Should City win against Adelaide, Auckland will need to at least draw against bottom-placed Perth to ensure the Premiership title is theirs.

Remaining Fixtures – Top Two

Auckland FC: Perth Glory (H), Western United (A).

Melbourne City: Adelaide United (H), Sydney FC (H).

AFC Champions League Spot

A coveted spot in the lucrative AFC Champions League Elite for the 2025-26 season is up for grabs this year, going to the top-finishing Australian side at the conclusion of the regular season.

With Auckland FC poised to snatch the Premiership, all eyes are now on which Australian club can finish second and secure their position in the ACL Elite.

Melbourne City currently leads Western United by three points and is in prime position to clinch second place with two matches left. However, Western United boasts a superior goal difference, which could become crucial if both teams finish level on points.

Qualifying for the AFC Champions League Elite in 2024-25 netted teams a cool USD$800k (AUD $1.27m).

Western Sydney Wanderers sit in fourth and are surging towards the season’s end with an impressive 10-game unbeaten streak. Though four points shy of City, Alen Stajcic’s squad remains a potential surprise contender for a second-place finish, provided both City and Western United falter.

Fifth-placed Melbourne Victory is the last team with a mathematical chance of finishing second, although their five-point deficit to City means a series of favourable outcomes are required to ascend from fifth to second and clinch the ACL Elite spot.

Remaining Fixtures in Fight for ACL Elite Qualification

Melbourne City: Adelaide United (H), Sydney FC (H).

Western United: Sydney FC (H), Auckland FC (H).

Western Sydney Wanderers: Newcastle Jets (A), Macarthur Bulls (A).

Melbourne Victory: Macarthur Bulls (A), Newcastle Jets (H).

EXPLAINED: Why Wanderers’ Goal was Disallowed

Top Six Race

As we enter the final stretch of the season, only two teams outside the top six remain in contention for a place in the Finals Series: Adelaide United and Macarthur Bulls.

The latest results have set up an exhilarating three-way battle for the sixth spot. Sydney FC have made their move with two draws and a win in their last three matches, whilst Adelaide United has stumbled, jeopardising their place in the top six.

Sydney currently holds sixth place, level on 37 points with the Reds after Adelaide’s 1-1 draw with Brisbane Roar on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Macarthur lags four points behind both Sydney and Adelaide, heading into the final two games.

Fifth-placed Melbourne Victory could find themselves ousted from the top six by either Adelaide or Macarthur if they lose their final two fixtures.

In a pivotal clash on Friday night, the Bulls will face Victory; a win for Victory would put them nine points clear of Macarthur, while a loss would allow the Bulls to close the gap to three points with a game still to play, and they would hold a superior goal difference.

Sydney FC concludes their campaign against two of the top four teams: Western United and Melbourne City, while Adelaide has just one match remaining against City this weekend.

Remaining Fixtures in Race for Fifth & Sixth

Melbourne Victory: Macarthur Bulls (A), Newcastle Jets (H).

Sydney FC: Western United (A), Melbourne City (A).

Adelaide United: Melbourne City (A)

Macarthur Bulls: Melbourne Victory (H), Western Sydney Wanderers (A)

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The Fight for Automatic Australia Cup Spots

The inclusion of Auckland FC in this year’s Isuzu UTE A-League has brought the total number of clubs to 13, marking a first in the competition’s 20-year history. Consequently, the qualification process for the 2025 Hahn Australia Cup has been restructured.

In the previous 12-team format, the top eight teams secured automatic qualification to the Round of 32 of the Australia Cup, while the bottom four competed in play-offs for the final two available spots.

Now, with one extra club in the mix, the Isuzu UTE A-League has secured an additional allocation for the Australia Cup.

The nine highest finishers in the Isuzu UTE A-League will now qualify automatically for the Australia Cup, while play-offs will occur between the 10th and 13th placed teams, as well as between the 11th and 12th placed teams.

Three of the bottom four teams are already confirmed for the playoffs, including reigning champions Central Coast Mariners, Brisbane Roar, and Perth Glory.

The Mariners sit 10th and trail Newcastle Jets by three points. With only one game left, their goal difference stands at -21 compared to Newcastle’s zero.

The only team that can potentially escape the bottom four to reach ninth is Wellington Phoenix; they sit five points behind Newcastle with two matches remaining. For them to leapfrog Newcastle, they would need to win both matches while hoping for Newcastle to lose their last two games, thereby surpassing them on points.

Even if Newcastle drew one of their remaining fixtures, it could leave Wellington with a slim chance of overtaking on goal difference—but Wellington would need to close a significant gap of 13 goals for this to be plausible.

Remaining Fixtures in Battle for Ninth

Newcastle Jets: Western Sydney Wanderers (H), Melbourne Victory (A)

Wellington Phoenix: Brisbane Roar (A), Perth Glory (H)

The remaining 21 slots in the Round of 32 will be allocated to member federations across Australia as follows:

• Football Victoria: Four slots
• Football New South Wales: Four slots
• Football Queensland: Four slots
• Football South Australia: Two slots
• Football Northern New South Wales: Two slots
• Football West: Two slots
• Football Tasmania: One slot
• Football Northern Territory: One slot
• Capital Football: One slot

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Golden Boot

A striking quartet of young Australian forwards leads the race for the Golden Boot, with only two games remaining in the regular season.

20-year-old Sydney FC sensation Adrian Segecic shares top spot on the Golden Boot leaderboard with Adelaide United’s Archie Goodwin; both young attackers have netted 13 goals each.

In the second and third spots sit 23-year-olds Nicolas Milanovic and Noah Botic with 12 and 11 goals, respectively. Closely behind them are three seasoned forwards sharing fourth place.

Hiroshi Ibusuki, Patryk Klimala, and Kosta Barbarouses have all scored 10 goals, and they’ll be looking to increase their tally while hoping the frontrunners slip up in the race for the Golden Boot.

=1st: Adrian Segecic, Sydney FC: 13 goals
=1st: Archie Goodwin, Adelaide United: 13 goals
2nd: Nicolas Milanovic, Western Sydney Wanderers: 12 goals
3rd: Noah Botic, Western United: 11 goals
=4th: Hiroshi Ibusuki, Western United: 10 goals
=4th: Patryk Klimala, Sydney FC: 10 goals
=4th: Kosta Barbarouses, Wellington Phoenix: 10 goals

No player under 23 had previously won the Golden Boot outright in Isuzu UTE A-League history until a 20-year-old Adam Taggart achieved the honour in 2014; since then, no player has replicated that feat.

The likes of Segecic, Goodwin, Milanovic, and Botic possess the potential to join Taggart in that exclusive group. With just two goals separating the top four, don’t be shocked if this season’s Golden Boot is claimed by more than one young Australian forward.

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