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Macarthur will welcome Sabah to the Campbelltown Sports Stadium in the AFC Cup Zonal semi-finals on Tuesday.
The hosts booked their place in the semi-final after finishing as the Group F table-toppers, recording five wins in six games. They signed off for the group stage with a comfortable 3-0 win over Cebu, thanks to goals from Matthew Millar, Jed Drew, and Ali Auglah.
After suffering a 3-1 loss in their first match of the year in the A-League to Western Sydney Wanderers, they have been unbeaten in the seven games since. In their previous outing, Jake Hollman's first-half goal helped them register a 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory.
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The visitors will play their first official game of the year on Tuesday and also the first game since a friendly last month when they met Rapid București, in which they registered a 2-1 win. They booked their place in the semi-finals as the Group H table-toppers, with four wins in six games.
Both teams are making their first appearances in the continental competition and have done well to reach the knockout stage. This is the final edition of the AFC Cup, so this is the final chance for both teams to lift the trophy.
Macarthur vs Sabah Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams will meet for the first time. This will be the first meeting against a Malaysian team for the hosts and the first meeting against an Australian team for the visitors.
- The hosts had the best attacking record in the group stage of the competition, scoring 23 goals, and the second-best defensive record, conceding just five times in six games.
- The visitors also had a decent goalscoring record, with 19 goals to their name.
- Macarthur have won three of their last four games. Sabah, meanwhile, have won seven of their last eight games.
Macarthur vs Sabah Prediction
The Bulls are unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions, recording three wins. They have scored at least thrice in three of their last five games. Interestingly, they have just one win in their last five home games in all competitions, with three games in that period ending in draws.
Nonetheless, having scored 19 goals in three home games in the AFC Cup while conceding just twice, they are strong favorites. Matthew Millar and Daniel De Silva, who were key players in the group stage for them, remain sidelined with long-term injuries and will play no part here.
The Rhinos will play their first match in over a month and might be a bit rusty. They have registered five wins on the trot in their travels, scoring 18 goals while conceding just twice, and will look to build on that form. Eleven of their 19 goals in the AFC Cup have come in their travels, which bodes well for them.
The hosts have enjoyed a good run of form in 2024, while the visitors will play for the first time this year. With that in mind and considering the home advantage for Macarthur, they are expected to record a comfortable win.
Prediction: Macarthur 2-1 Sabah
Macarthur vs Sabah Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Macarthur 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: Valère Germain to score or assist any time - Yes
