Our Melbourne City vs Sydney FC Prediction: 2-1
Melbourne City vs Sydney FC in the Australia A-League is scheduled for an 08:35 GMT kick-off on Saturday January 3, 2026. Our forecast points to a 2-1 home win, but considering both teams’ recent scoring patterns, BTTS is a highly likely outcome.
This Melbourne City vs Sydney FC prediction is backed by a deep dive into both teams' recent performances, key stats and head-to-head history — all of which you'll find detailed below to help you make an informed betting decision.
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Recent Form Insights
Melbourne City's Last Match – Melbourne City vs Perth Glory
Melbourne City will hope to recover from their recent 1-3 Australia A-League setback against Perth Glory on December 28. In that match, Melbourne City recorded 64% possession, attempting 10 shots on goal, with 4 hitting the target.
| Team | Possession | Shots (on target) | xG | Dangerous Attacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Melbourne City | 64% | 10 (4) | 2.01 | 74 |
 Perth Glory | 36% | 9 (8) | 1.99 | 20 |
Sydney FC's Last Match – Newcastle Jets vs Sydney FC
Sydney FC will be looking to bounce back after a 0-2 Australia A-League defeat against Newcastle Jets on December 20. In that match, Sydney FC recorded 46% possession, firing 9 shots at goal, with 5 on target.
| Team | Possession | Shots (on target) | xG | Dangerous Attacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Newcastle Jets | 54% | 14 (9) | 2.41 | 75 |
 Sydney FC | 46% | 9 (5) | 0.9 | 39 |
Melbourne City vs Sydney FC Stats
Key Stats
| Melbourne City | Sydney FC | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.06 | Attacking Strength | 0.94 |
| 0.61 | Defence Strength | 0.93 |
| 1.5 | Points Per Game | 1.9 |
| 4/10 | WIN | 6/10 |
| 3/10 | DRAW | 1/10 |
| 4/10 | Clean Sheets | 4/10 |
| 5/10 | BTTS | 4/10 |
| 3/10 | Over 2.5 Goals | 4/10 |
| 1.1 | Average Scored | 1.6 |
Goals Scored vs Goals Conceded
Melbourne City are averaging 1.1 goals scored and 1.1 conceded per match, while Sydney FC average 1.6 scored and 0.8 conceded per game.
Melbourne City 11-11
Sydney FC 16-8
What are the odds for this match?
Melbourne City to win: @2.2
Draw: @3.5
Sydney FC to win: @3.25
Over 2.5 Goals: @1.85
Lineups
Melbourne City (4-1-4-1) : Patrick Beach, Nathaniel Atkinson, German Ferreyra, Samuel Souprayen, Aziz Behich, Andreas Kuen, Kai Trewin, Emin Durakovic, Kavian Rahmani, Medin Memeti, Andrew Nabbout
Sydney FC (4-2-3-1) : Harrison Devenish-Meares, Rhyan Grant, Marcel Tisserand, Alex Grant, Ben Garuccio, Rhys Youlley, Piero Quispe, Paul Okon-Engstler, Abel Walatee, Victor Campuzano, Alhassan Toure
Newcastle Jets 
Auckland FC 
Sydney FC 
Adelaide United 
Melbourne Victory 
Macarthur FC 
Central Coast Mariners 
Melbourne City 
Brisbane Roar 
Perth Glory 
Wellington Phoenix 
Western Sydney Wanderers