FFA Cup 2018 Semi-Final previews: Bentleigh aim for Cup history, fireworks assured in Sydney Derby

It all comes down to this! Four teams remain but only two spots are available for the FFA Cup 2018 final.

There’s two mouth-watering Semi-Finals to play out over the next couple of days, with goals and high drama sure to be on display in Melbourne and Sydney.

Scroll down to the bottom for broadcast details.

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Defending champions Sydney FC take on local rivals Western Sydney Wanderers in Penrith on Saturday, while Victorian NPL side Bentleigh Greens stand between Adelaide United and third FFA Cup Final berth on Friday.

To get in the mood for both semi’s, take a look at our preview of the matches below.

Bentleigh Greens v Adelaide United

Can Bentleigh become the first Member Federation side to reach an FFA Cup final?

It’s a question many believe is possible after the Victorian powerhouses' stunning run into the last four for the second time in their history.

John Anastasiadis’ troops have already eliminated Hyundai A-League opposition on their way to the last four (a 1-0 win over Wellington Phoenix in the Round of 32) and will need a similar performance to topple the Reds.

The Greens have had a couple of weeks since the end of their Victorian NPL commitments to focus on this match and freshen up after a gruelling season.

With Chris Lucas and Matt Thurtell in their side, Bentleigh’s attack is their biggest strength. The Greens have only failed to find the net in three of their 34 matches in all competitions in 2018.

Chris Lucas Bentleigh Greens
Bentleigh Greens striker Chris Lucas.

But they’ll need all that attacking thrust to penetrate the Reds who are yet to concede a goal in the FFA Cup this year.

Marco Kurz’s side haven’t played their best football but have improved with each outing and the likes of Ben Halloran, Ken Ilso and Craig Goodwin are looking stronger every match.

With a chance to get redemption for last year’s final defeat to Sydney FC, you can be sure Adelaide won’t be underestimating their lower-league opponents.

“We know that they’re a strong team. And we also know that it’s no coincidence that they’re in the semi-finals," Reds skipper Isaias said this week.

“We know that they play hard, they’ve a very good transition game and we’re ready to play this game.

“We have the experience to play against an NPL side and we know that it’s going to be difficult and that it’s not going to be an easy game. But we know that we’re a great team also and we should reach the final.”

Goodwin
Craig Goodwin has scored some key goals on Adelaide's charge to the semi's.

Western Sydney Wanderers v Sydney FC

Clashes between these two fierce Sydney rivals are always special but there promises to be even more spice in this one with a spot in the Final up for grabs.

The Sky Blues have dominated this fixture in recent years, losing just one of the last 13 meetings between the two sides and winning eight.

But the Wanderers have a clean slate under German maestro Markus Babbel and enter the clash after a strong showing against Melbourne City in the Quarter-Finals.

The Red and Black showed class and resilience in dispatching City and with the likes of Oriol Riera, Alex Baumjohann and Roly Bonevacia in good form, they could cause Sydney FC plenty of problems.

Bonnyrigg Western Sydney Wanderers
Roly Bonevacia could play a key role for the Wanderers on Saturday night.

They also have the home ground advantage, with a big crowd expected in Penrith to get behind the Wanderers as they look to make their first ever FFA Cup decider.

“It's a great place for football. Having this full on the weekend is going to be loud, it's going to be full of red and black, it's going to be amazing,” long-serving attacker Mark Bridge said.

"It's big for our club, getting to the Semi-Final two years in a row. To play Sydney FC makes it even bigger and we're looking to play here on Saturday in front of a full house.

"The people out here deserve it, we've got a lot of fans out here, so hopefully we can give them a good result and get through to the Final."

But the Wanderers know they’ll have to be at their best to get past Steve Corica’s Sky Blues.

The defending champions have done just enough to get past Rockdale City Suns, Cairns FC and Avondale FC on the road to the semi’s but will have to improve to beat the Wanderers.

The good news is the likes of Adam Le Fondre and Milos Ninkovic – who both scored in the win over Avondale – appear to be hitting their stride, while speedster Trent Buhagiar is in a rich vein of scoring form.

Whatever you’re doing on Saturday night, make sure you make time to watch this one as there could be an FFA Cup classic on the cards!

Trent Buhagiar Sydney FC
Trent Buhagiar scored a double in Sydney FC's quarter-final win.

WATCH IT ON FOX SPORTS OR LIVE STREAM

Can't get to the game? Be sure to tune in live on Fox Sports!

Bentleigh’s attempt to become the first Member Federation club to reach the final by beating Adelaide United will be the feature match on Channel 505 from 7pm (AEST).

The Sydney Derby will be shown on Channel 503 from 7pm (AEST).

Fox Sports will also stream the matches online - head here for details on how to watch.

Telstra mobile customers can view both games live, fast and data-free through the My Football Live app. Download now from the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android.

GET AROUND IT ON SOCIAL

There will be LIVE updates throughout on the FFA Cup Twitter channel @FFACup as well as half-time and full-time updates on the competition's official Facebook page.

Join the conversation on Twitter using the official match hashtags, #BGRvADL and #SydneyDerby, as well as #FFACup.

LIVE BLOG

Join us on the live blog for a running commentary of both matches including goal replays!

The blog will be live on www.ffacup.com.au from 6.30pm (AEST) each night.

MATCH CENTRES

Follow the games via the official FFA Cup match centres for all the latest action including goals, highlights and statistics.