The Sydney Derby is the most highly anticipated fixture on the A-League calendar, so when you throw a former World Cup and European champion into the mix, it is bound to be one of the biggest derbies in history.
Limited tickets remain for the blockbuster Sydney Derby. Get your tickets here.
Season 2024/25 is set to begin with a bang as the Wanderers play their only home derby of the season in front of what could be a sellout crowd at CommBank Stadium.
One of the main attractions will be Juan Mata, who is in line to make his debut in Red and Black after signing for the club at the start of September.
He is one of the most high profile signings in Wanderers history, arguably the biggest since Shinji Ono way back in the clubs inaugural season, and he is set to bring quality and flair on the pitch, with leadership and experience as well.
He has already felt the love from the Wanderers’ faithful, with hundreds welcoming him early in the morning at Sydney Airport, and Wanderland is set to be filled to the brim to see the star Spaniard.
Adding another layer to the match is the fact our rivals could also be debuting their own marquee signing of Douglas Costa, who made his name playing for Bayern Munich and Juventus, as well as the Brazilian national team.
There will be a lot of eyes on the matchup between the pair, as they both play in the same position as an attacking midfielder, though it is unclear if they will feature in the starting side or off the bench.
Their presence means it could be the biggest ever crowd at the rebuilt Wanderland; ticket sales are already booming with limited seats left.
But the storylines for this opening round Derby go far beyond the two marquee men, with the match representing a new era for the Wanderers under new coach Alen Stajcic.
Having arrived in the off-season, he has continued the policy of utilising players from the academy in the Australia Cup, and given his form in doing the same at his previous clubs, the likes of Zac Sapsford, Alex Bonetig and Oscar Priestman look set to play a key role at the Wanderers this season.
He has supplemented the side with a couple new signings – namely centre back Jeong
Tae-Wook and midfielder Bozhidar Kraev – as well as talent that has shone in the NPL such as Ben Holliday and James Temelkovski.
Stajcic will hope a young side with nothing to fear will come into the derby cauldron full of confidence, as the Wanderers unfortunately lost in two of the three derby games last season, though were significantly hampered by injury in two of them.
Key attacker Brandon Borrello suffered two long term injuries in away derby matches, ruling him out for much of the season, and he will be back with a vengeance looking to wreak havoc with our rivals from the East.
Our opponents will also have a point to prove, having suffered an embarrassing early exit in the Australia Cup at the hands of NPL Victoria side Oakleigh Cannons.
It will be coach Ufuk Talay’s first full season in charge, but he has lost his right hand man from last year David Zdrillic; will this hamper how his team play?
The away side have a few new signings in the team as well as Costa, but a first up league match in front of a packed out RBB is a far from ideal way to begin an A-League career, and the Wanderers fans will be looking to make it hell on earth for those in Sky Blue.
Derby games are won in the moments, where players stand above the noise and colour to lead the team to victory; it was young Sapsford last season, which Wanderers will write his name into derby folklore next?
Sydney Derby
Saturday 19 October, 7:35pm
CommBank Stadium
Limited tickets remain for the blockbuster Sydney Derby. Get your tickets here.
