Bayside rivals Capalaba FC and Redlands United will face off this Sunday afternoon with both clubs desperate to avoid relegation to the FQPL next season.
The derby is one of several must-watch games in the final round of the NPL Men’s competition.
With Peninsula Power already crowned Premiers for 2021, the race is on to tie up second, third and fourth spots ahead of the Finals Series.
Brisbane Roar will be hoping for a win against Logan Lightning in order to avoid coming up against Power in the Semi Final.
Meanwhile, fifth-placed Sunshine Coast Wanderers need to beat Power and hope other results go their way to secure fourth spot.
Elsewhere, the Premiers of the Gold Coast Premier League and the Sunshine Coast Premier League will face off in the Play Off Qualifier for FQPL 2 in 2022.
The winner of Surfers Paradise Apollo versus Nambour-Yandina United will progress to the Play Off Final against Bayside United.
Fans can watch all First Grade NPL and FQPL matches LIVE on NPL.TV, free for Australian residents.
Brisbane Strikers v Olympic FC
Olympic FC face Brisbane Strikers this Sunday with a spot in the Finals Series up for grabs.
A win for Olympic could see them finish as high as second on the ladder, while a loss could see them miss out on finals football altogether.
Olympic, who have lost the last three NPL Men’s Grand Finals, have missed out on finals just twice since the competition began nine years ago.
Olympic will need to back up four days after beating Magpies Crusaders 1-0 in Wednesday’s catchup game.
They will be confident taking on the Strikers after scoring 10 unanswered goals the last time these two sides met.
Match Details
Sunday 24 October, 5:00pm
Perry Park, Bowen Hills
Capalaba FC v Redlands United
The Bayside battle for NPL survival is here as Capalaba take on Redlands in an all-important final game of the season.
Capalaba need a win or a draw to stay up, while Redlands must win to avoid relegation to the FQPL.
Despite trailing Capalaba on points, Redlands cannot be written off after their 2-1 win over high-flying Gold Coast Knights a fortnight ago.
Redlands also had a convincing 3-1 win over their neighbourly rivals in their last outing in May.
While Capalaba will enter the clash as slight favourites, they will need to dig deep after losing seven of their past eight matches.
Match Details
Sunday 24 October, 5:00pm
Max Haynes Field
Key players:
Daniel Leck (Olympic FC): Scored his 17th goal of the season on Wednesday night to help Olympic beat Magpies Crusaders and move into fourth spot.
Louis Zabala (Brisbane Roar): The consistent midfielder has been a standout all year for the Roar, missing just one match and netting five goals to earn a spot in the Team of the Season.
Ethan Galbraith (Sunshine Coast Wanderers): Bagged a double in Wanderers’ 5-0 win over Magpies Crusaders last weekend.
Kado Aoci (Capalaba FC): Capalaba will be looking to their big striker for inspiration in one of the most important games in the club’s history.
Click here for the NPL Round 21 Schedule.
Click here for the FQPL 2 Play Off Qualifier.
Image: Alan Minifie
