Melbourne City vs. Sydney FC – 2021 A-League Grand Final (June 27)

The best two teams in the A-League battle for the biggest prize in Australian soccer on Sunday, June 27, as Melbourne City and Sydney FC face off in the 2021 Grand Final.

After claiming their maiden Premiers’ Plate, Patrick Kisnorbo’s men beat Macarthur FC 2-0 in the semi-finals. But can they cope without top-scorer Jamie Maclaren this weekend?

As we know, the Sky Blues overcame City in last year’s showpiece. The reigning champions saw off Adelaide United 2-1 in the previous round and will be desperate to defend their title.

In this 2021 A-League Grand Final betting preview, I look at the odds, analyze both sides, and provide my prediction and pick for Melbourne City vs. Sydney FC.

There was a time earlier in the season when it looked as though Melbourne City would run away with the premiership.

An astonishing run of just one defeat in 17 games (13 wins, three draws) saw Kisnorbo’s men open up a seemingly unassailable lead at the summit, and they deservedly clinched the Premiers’ Plate along the way.

However, the newly-crowned premiers only managed to win one of their final five regular-season matches and ended the home-and-away campaign on a three-game winless run (one draw, two losses).

City will be without Socceroos trio Jamie Maclaren, Connor Metcalfe, and Curtis Good for Sunday’s showdown, although they will miss Maclaren the most. The Golden Boot winner has bagged a phenomenal 25 goals in 24 matches this year.

Kisnorbo’s men managed to restore some pride with a confident 2-0 win over Macarthur last time, but can they gain revenge on Sydney FC for last year’s final loss?

It’s fair to say that Sydney FC made a slow start to the 2020/21 season, recording three wins, two draws, and three losses across their opening eight games. But after that, the Sydneysiders were almost unbeatable.

In fact, they have only lost two of their previous 19 matches (11 wins, six draws) and head into the Grand Final on a six-game winning streak.

It is no coincidence that both Adam Le Fondre and Bobo scored in the semi-final triumph over Adelaide. The two strikers have been immense since returning to Sydney, giving everyone at the club a massive boost.

Bobo has bagged 12 goals in 22 appearances this term, while Le Fondre has contributed four goals and one assist in six games since making his comeback last month.

With Bobo and Le Fondre in red-hot form, the Sky Blues will be confident of securing a third straight title this weekend.

It is hardly surprising that Melbourne City (2.30) is the bookies’ favorite to win the 2021 A-League Grand Final. After all, Kisnorbo’s side sealed the Premiers’ Plate and will fancy their chances of claiming a famous double.

Still, you would be foolish to write off Sydney FC (2.90). The reigning champs know exactly what it takes to go all the way, so you cannot disregard them altogether.

All the momentum is with the Sydneysiders at the moment. While City has stumbled across the finish line, Sydney FC has continued to win games – building confidence ahead of the Grand Final.

In my opinion, the Sky Blues’ forward line is likely to be the difference between the two sides on Sunday. I expect Bobo and Le Fondre to torment City’s defense and prevent the premiers from stamping their mark of the game.

Having conceded just 23 goals in 26 regular-season matches, Sydney FC boasts the best defensive record in the A-League by some distance. With that in mind, I can see Sunday’s game being a low-scoring clash.

Corica’s men may have won each of their last six games, but they have only scored over 2.5 goals on one occasion in that time. If they can snatch an early goal this weekend, they will likely sit back and defend their lead.