A-League semi-finals first leg preview & free soccer betting tips

Just four teams remain in the race for the A-League trophy as we head into the first leg of the semi-finals this weekend. Below are our free soccer betting tips for both matches.

Sydney FC vs Central Coast Mariners

Friday, May 10 – 7:45pm AEST – Allianz Stadium

Finishing as the A-League premiers at the end of the regular season, the Central Coast Mariners are now in the box seat as defending champions.

Despite being given a week off due to their top-two finish, the success continued for Mark Jackson’s men as they became the first-ever Australian winners of the AFC Cup in Oman.

Even so, the Mariners head down the road to face Sydney in the first leg of this semi-final as slight underdogs with top soccer bookmakers.

For Sydney FC, it was a demolition job as they beat Macarthur FC 4-0 in their elimination final last Saturday.

With 11 goals in their past two home matches, they present a daunting task for the Mariners, who have lost their past five between the sides at Allianz Stadium.

While the finals atmosphere makes this match much less predictable, the Mariners will be hoping to minimise the damage taken into the second leg.

Central Coast have lost just one of their past 17 matches, but facing an equally in-form opponent on the road, this one should be close.

Melbourne Victory vs Wellington Phoenix

Sunday, May 12 – 4pm AEST – AAMI Park

After scraping through their elimination final against Melbourne City on penalties, Melbourne Victory enter the first leg of the semis as strong favourites against the Wellington Phoenix.

Victory ended their regular season on a run of three matches without a win, but as the side with the most draws in the A-League, they have consistently found a way to avoid defeat.

The Phoenix surprised many this season to finish second on the table as the best defensive side in the A-League.

They enter this clash with just one loss from their past six matches and should be well rested from their two-week break.

However, given that nine of the 12 times they dropped points this season came on the road, this shapes as a tough matchup for Wellington.

They haven’t beaten Victory on the road since 2017, but they have scored in the past nine matchups between the sides.

That suggests that while an upset seems unlikely, taking both teams to score offers extra value with the top Australian bookmakers.

Best bookmakers for A-League betting

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