Sydney FC vs Newcastle Jets Preview & Tips - The Jets backed to put one foot in the A-League grand final

The difference between the styles of the two sides will make for an incredibly intriguing clash between the top side and a Sydney side that finished in fifth. 

The Jets defeated Sydney 2-1 in March and have won three of the last six meetings overall. Across their last 10 meetings, Sydney have won five times, the Jets have four wins and one game has ended as a draw. 

Sydney FC arrive in strong defensive form after conceding just 25 times in 26 regular season matches. The Sky Blues have kept four clean sheets in their last five outings and recently eliminated Melbourne Victory thanks to a disciplined 1-0 win away from home. 

While a more conservative approach has sometimes limited their attacking threat, this two-legged clash could go one of two ways. Sydney's defence will either come out on top as they underline why they conceded so sparsely across the season, or it could also end with the Jets coming good on their goal-scoring across the season and pounding Sydney into submission. 

Sydney have seen less than 3.5 goals scored in six of their last seven, and I back this to be the case in the first-leg of their semi-final. 

Newcastle Jets, by contrast, have been the division’s entertainers all season. The Jets finished as minor premiership winners after scoring 55 goals, comfortably the highest tally in the league with nine more than second placed Adelaide United. Mark Milligan’s side play aggressively in transition and continue to create chances regularly, with this ultimately resulting in their games seeing goals. 

However, recent form slightly favours Sydney. The Sky Blues are unbeaten in five matches and have conceded very few goals (two) during that run. The Jets have been more inconsistent recently, drawing with Adelaide United and losing 3-2 at Macarthur before recovering momentum with a draw against Melbourne Victory and a commanding 4-0 win over Central Coast Mariners. 

The Jets have made a habit out of scoring goals this season, but a semi-final can be slightly more cagey. While the Jets could showcase their attacking talent in this one if given the chance, I back them to secure a tight win as their big-scoring games make way for edgier matches.