Melbourne City square off against Central Coast Mariners at the CommBank Stadium in the 2023 A-League Grand Final on Saturday (June 3).
Melbourne had a comfortable 5-1 aggregate win over Sydney in the semifinal, including a 4-0 victory at home in the second leg. The Mariners, meanwhile, eased past Adelaide United 4-1 on aggregate to book their place in the Grand Final for the first time since 2013.
It's a very fitting conclusion to the league campaign, as the first and second-placed teams will contest the Grand Final.
City are in the final for the third straight year. They will look to return to winning ways following a 2-0 defeat against Western United last season. Both teams have been crowned champions once, with City winning it in 2021 and the Mariners in 2013.
Trending
Melbourne City vs Central Coast Mariners Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have squared off 36 times across competitions since 2010. They will meet for the first time in the Grand Final. City lead 16-12 overall.
- The reigning league winners have eight wins in their last ten meetings against the Mariners and drew 1-1 in their league meeting in April.
- The Mariners have won six of their last seven games, scoring 19 goals and conceding five.
- City outscored the Mariners 61-55 in the regular season. City scored five goals in the final series to the Mariners' four.
Melbourne City vs Central Coast Mariners Prediction
City suffered just three defeats in the league this season, while the Mariners lost eight times, with one of them coming against City. Melbourne have a solid record against the Mariners, losing once in ten games.
The Mariners saw an upturn in form in the final phase of the season, winning six of their last seven games, dropping points only against Melbourne City.
Both teams head into the game in good form. The game is expected to be contested closely. Considering City's recent form against the Mariners, they should eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Melbourne 2-1 Central Coast
Melbourne City vs Central Coast Mariners Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Melbourne
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the first half - Yes
Tip 4: Jamie Maclaren to score or assist any time - Yes
