A-League, W-League previews: The round’s match ups across the men’s and women’s draws

Formal auditions for the 2023 FIFA World Cup commence this A-League weekend. Check out the full preview for each match in the A-League Men and Women.

Jada Mathyssen-Whyman (R) is hunting a matildas spot. Picture: Matt King/Getty

Formal auditions for the 2023 FIFA World Cup commence this A-League weekend, after the Matildas’ shock Asian Cup quarter-finals exit places a sharper focus on the domestic talent factory.

Four local players made the final Asian Cup squad, but ex-Matildas captain and Melbourne City star Melissa Barbieri has implored national coach Tony Gustavsson to tap into the “underrated” A-Leagues ahead of the home World Cup.

Asian Cup standby Winonah Heatley (City) is on the Matildas watch-list, but a host of other local names could come into contention for 2023 as Gustavsson tries to expand the squad’s depth for the historic home World Cup.

In A-League Men, New Western Sydney head coach Mark Rudan comes up against his former team Western United.

Scroll down for a full preview of the A-League Men and Women rounds this weekend.

A-LEAGUE MEN

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 4

ADELAIDE UNITED V SYDNEY FC

Venue: Coopers Stadium

Kick-off: 4.45pm AEDT

Broadcast: Paramount+

Odds: Adelaide $2.95, Draw $3.45, Sydney $2.30

Fifteen-year-old Nestory Irankunda became the second-youngest A-League Men’s goalscorer of all time last weekend as his scintillating free-kick helped Adelaide United stage a dramatic comeback to beat Newcastle Jets.

Now the Reds face a Sydney FC side looking to go level with Western United at the top of the table after returning to form with a win in a five-goal thriller against Central Coast Mariners last time out.

Reds captain Stefan Mauk is expected to return from illness for his Adelaide farewell, as an overseas move beckons.

SATURDAY

WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS V WESTERN UNITED

Venue: CommBank Stadium

Kick-off: 5.05pm AEDT

Broadcast: Paramount+

ODDS: Wanderers $2.20, Draw $2.45, Western $3.15

New Western Sydney head coach Mark Rudan will be enemy number one for Western United as he meets his former side on Saturday night just days after taking up a new role as Wanderers head coach.

Rudan was relieved from his post at Western in July, 2021 after losing eight successive games to end last season in 10th spot on the table.

A goal from star English recruit Jack Rodwell got Rudan’s Wanderers tenure off to the perfect start in a 1-0 win over Perth on Wednesday night, and the former Premier League midfielder will need to be at his best as his side looks to prevent Western from pulling clear at the top of the table.

SUNDAY

WELLINGTON PHOENIX V MACARTHUR FC

Venue: Campbelltown Stadium

Kick-off: 4.05pm AEDT

Broadcast: Paramount+

ODDS: Wellington $2.60, Draw $3.40, Macarthur $2.55

Former Wellington captain Ulises Dávila returns to face his old side this weekend as the Bulls look to charge up the A-League Men’s table.

The Mexican attacking midfielder was a shining light for the ‘Nix across two memorable seasons, but departed for Campbelltown at the end of the last A-League Men’s campaign.

Fringe Socceroos striker Apostolos Giannou made his Macarthur bow against Western United on Tuesday night but failed to find a debut goal; he’ll be eager to break his duck against the most porous defence in the league on Sunday afternoon.

MELBOURNE CITY V PERTH GLORY

Venue: AAMI Park

Kick-off: 6.45pm AEDT

Broadcast: Paramount+

ODDS: City $1.42, Draw $4.50, Glory $7.00

Melbourne City’s Socceroo quartet are back from international duty and in contention to feature against Perth Glory on Sunday afternoon.

Jamie Maclaren, Mathew Leckie, Connor Metcalfe and Marco Tilio were notable absentees in City’s loss to Western United on January 29. The champions have since slumped to fifth on the A-League Men’s table - but write off Patrick Kisnorbo’s Melbourne City at your peril.

A clash with an understrength Perth Glory awaits, with star Glory recruit Daniel Sturridge unlikely to feature as the Englishman continues his recovery from COVID-19.

A-LEAGUE WOMEN

FRIDAY

WELLINGTON PHOENIX V MELBOURNE VICTORY

Venue: WIN Stadium

Kick-off: 6.35pm AEDT

Broadcast: Paramount+

Melbourne Victory have tumbled out of the top four since Jeff Hopkins’ side last featured in the A-League Women’s in mid-January. A returning Matildas defender should help the champions in their quest to defeat the winless Wellington.

Courtney Nevin is set to come into the Victory squad after the Matildas’ shock Asian Cup exit, whilst fellow Australian international Kyra Cooney-Cross misses out through suspension.

Wellington have showed promising signs of late; the expansion side was tipped to struggle this season and despite notching just one point from nine games there’s substance and style to Gemma Lewis’ side as they threaten to cause a shock result.

ADELAIDE UNITED V NEWCASTLE JETS

Venue: Coopers Stadium

Kick-off: 5.05pm AEDT

Broadcast: Paramount+

Adelaide United have never featured in an A-League Women’s finals series - that could all be about to change this season.

A Friday-night clash with the Jets offers Adelaide United forward Chelsie Dawber the chance to stake her claim for the A-League Women’s golden boot and continue Adelaide’s push to the post-season.

Dawber is three goals behind the league’s top scorer Hannah Wilkinson (nine goals) after eight games. The future Matildas prospect is in red-hot form and will be excited by the prospect of facing a Jets outfit which conceded three times in a six-goal thriller against Canberra United last time out.

SATURDAY

CANBERRA UNITED V PERTH GLORY

Venue: Viking Park

Kick-off: 5.05pm AEDT

Broadcast: Paramount+

One of the stories of the season continues on Saturday evening as finals aspirants Perth Glory continue their road trip against Canberra United.

Perth begin the weekend in the top four after back-to-back A-League Women’s wins. Alex Epakis’ side failed to win a game last season; they’ve already won four in 2021/22 - and they’re doing their best work on the road, unable to return to Western Australia.

Canberra are winless after seven disappointing games this season, with an unwanted goal difference of -10.

SUNDAY

MELBOURNE CITY V WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS

Venue: AAMI Park

Kick-off: 4.05pm AEDT

Broadcast: Network 10, Paramount+

The race for the premiership is all but over with Sydney FC not looking like conceding a goal, let alone a point in the run home - but Melbourne City still have plenty to play for, with their second spot on the table under threat as they welcome the Wanderers to AAMI Park.

Matildas young gun Holly McNamara returns to Victoria, but is in doubt for the weekend after having scans on an injury suffered on international duty.

The Wanderers have injury doubts of their own, with key defender Clare Hunt going down with a shoulder injury in her side’s last A-League Women’s game. Hunt has been holding the Wanderers backline together, and in her absence Catherine Cannuli’s side may struggle to contain the impact of golden boot leader Hannah Wilkinson.

Originally published as A-League, W-League previews: The round’s match ups across the men’s and women’s draws