The 2025 NPLM Match of the Round Preview
Round 25: Green Gully v Preston Lions
Venue: Green Gully Reserve
Date/Time: Friday, August 15, 7:30PM
All eyes will be on this crucial clash on Friday night as Preston, currently sitting fifth on the ladder, hit the road to face Green Gully, who remain in the hunt for a top-six finish.
With just two weeks remaining in the season, Green Gully find themselves four points adrift of sixth-placed Hume City. To keep their finals hopes alive, they must secure all three points on Friday night and then rely on Melbourne Victory to defeat Hume City in their upcoming fixture. It’s a tough road ahead, but one the Gully faithful will be backing wholeheartedly.
Preston, often regarded as the sleeping giant of Victorian football, are determined to make a statement in the final stretch. With Oakleigh within their sights in fifth place, Preston will be looking to build momentum over their last two games to solidify their place in the finals and climb the table.
The last meeting between these two sides saw Preston emerge victorious, but with so much more at stake this time around, Green Gully will be desperate to turn the tide.
Head-to-Head Record
Played: 59
Green Gully: 18
Preston Lions: 23
Draws: 18
Last Time They Met
Friday May 2 2025, 8:30pm BT Connor Reserve, Reservoir
Preston Lions (Romero 10, Albano 20, Brooks 47) 3 - 2 Green Gully (Abdallah (43, 90)
Referee: Jonathan Barreiro Assistant Referees: Peter Jaworski and John White Fourth Official: Lucas Mattia
Preston Lions: Lucas Trenkovski, Emile Peios (Brandon Lauton 87), Lleyton Brooks, Jonas Markovski (Marcus Schroen 87), Jake Trajkovski, Matthew Bozinovski, Jason Romero (Giorgio Serdenes 87), Oliver Kubilay, Adrian Valenti (Aaron Anderson 90+5), Stefan Nigro, Gian Albano (Connor Bell 73) Coach: Lou Acevski
Green Gully: Liam Driscoll, Judd MacDougall, Jalil Regague, Matthew Crooks, Paul Hodges, Scott Lochhead, Adisu Bayew (Elioan Kifle 80), Joshua Hope, Deklan Wynne, Karl Imanzi (Gianluca Iannucci 46), Aamir Abdallah
Coach: David Chick
The Key Matchup: Aamir Abdallah v Stefan Nigro
Twelve months ago, Aamir Abdallah led Hume City all the way to the Semi-Finals of the 2024 NPLM season. Now, he has the chance to do the same with Green Gully if he can rediscover the gold medal form that made him unstoppable last year. When firing on all cylinders, Abdallah is a game-changer, and the Gully faithful will be hoping he lights up the pitch this Friday night to secure all three points at home.
On the other side, Preston defender Stefan Nigro could be the key to stopping him. With A-League experience under his belt, Nigro’s matchup against Gully’s dangerous forward promises to be one of the standout battles of the round, definitely a contest worth watching.
Commentator:
The 2025 NPLM Round 25 Match of the Round will be broadcast live and free on the NPL Victoria YouTube Channel.
NPLW Round 20 Matches
- Friday 15 August, 7:30pm: Green Gully v Preston Lions @ Green Gully Reserve
- Friday 15 August, 7:30pm: Hume City v Melbourne Victory @ Nasiol Stadium
- Friday 15 August, 7:30pm: Heidelberg United v Oakleigh Cannons @ Olympic Village
- Saturday 16 August, 3:15pm: Altona Magic v Port Melbourne @ Paisey Park
- Saturday 16 August, 4:00pm: Dandenong City v Melbourne Knights @ Frank Holohan Soccer Complex
- Sunday 17 August, 5:00pm: St Albans v Dandenong Thunder @ Churchill Reserve
- Sunday 17 August, 5:00pm: South Melbourne v Avondale @ Lakeside Stadium