Preview: Sydney FC vs Wrexham - prediction, team news, lineups

Wrexham are set to continue their pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand with a second friendly match against Sydney FC on Tuesday morning.

The Red Dragons got their tour underway with a 3-0 victory against Melbourne Victory, while the Sky Blues are competing in their first and final friendly ahead of their 2025-26 opener against Western United later this week.

Match preview

Since the Hollywood takeover at Wrexham in 2021, the Red Dragons have enjoyed a fairy-tale rise up the English football pyramid - a story certainly fit for the big screen.

Phil Parkinson, appointed in July 2021, has guided Wrexham to an unbelievable three consecutive promotions - a first in the top five English divisions - taking the club from the National League to the Championship. 

Now preparing for their first season in the second tier of English football since 1981-82, the Red Dragons are embarking on a pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand. 

Wrexham got their preparations underway last week with a dominant 3-0 victory over Melbourne Victory, which included a debut goal for new signing Ryan Hardie just 20 minutes after entering the pitch at half-time.

Looking to build on that superb victory, Wrexham will take on Sydney FC on Tuesday, followed by a final tour clash with Wellington Phoenix before their Championship opener against Southampton on August 9.

The Red Dragons do have plenty of reason to be confident heading into this clash, as Parkinson's side are undefeated in their last 11 matches across all competitions - with eight wins and three draws.

For the Sky Blues, Tuesday's friendly encounter will serve as their only pre-season fixture as they prepare for their 2025-26 season opener against Western United in the Australia Cup later this week. 

The friendly match could be crucial to help Sydney get their campaign off to a positive start, as they are aiming to snap a two-game losing streak following a disappointing end to the 2024-25 season.

Ufuk Talay's men lost 1-0 to Western United and 5-1 to Melbourne City in the final two A-League fixtures, meaning they narrowly missed out on a top-six playoff spot after Adelaide United edged them out by just one point on the final day. 

Hoping for a return to the top six in the A-League next season, Talay will be looking for an encouraging performance and result on Tuesday to serve as a foundation for the upcoming campaign.

Sydney FC ALL Comps

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Wrexham ALL Comps

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Team News

Sydney FC have lost both of last season's top scorers as Adrian Segecic and Patryk Klimala have transferred away from the club, meaning Douglas Costa, Tiago Quintal and Joe Lolley could start in attack. 

Harrison Devenish-Meares should start in goal after Andrew Redmayne left the club on a free transfer, while a familiar backline could also feature.

As for Wrexham, Parkinson started two entirely different teams in either half of their clash with Melbourne Victory, and the manager is likely to do so again on Tuesday. 

Hardie, who scored on his debut in that match, may be a doubt for Tuesday's match after the striker was taken off in the 80th minute, seemingly as a precaution.

Sydney FC possible starting lineup:

Devenish-Meares; Grant, Popovic, Courtney-Perkins, King; Lolley, Kamijo, Hollman, Quintal; Youlley, Costa

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Ward; Cleworth, Scarr, Brunt; Longman, Rathbone, James, Lee, Revan; Marriott, Palmer

We say: Sydney FC 0-2 Wrexham

Wrexham proved their quality as they comfortably defeated Melbourne Victory in their opening friendly match, and given Sydney FC finished multiple places behind last week's opposition, Wrexham are expected to secure another dominant win.

Written by
Ellis Stevens

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