Invincibles’ Primary Aim Remains on Track as Tough Finals Test Approaches

Melbourne City defender Taylor Otto acknowledges that despite clinching the Premiership and completing an undefeated season, her team faces significant challenges as they prepare for the Ninja A-League Finals Series.

City capped off their regular season in style, securing the Premier’s Plate with a stunning 5-1 victory over Perth Glory in Western Australia, where Otto notably scored twice at the Sam Kerr Football Centre.

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With this impressive win, Michael Matricciani’s squad claimed their second consecutive Premiership title, granting them a week off prior to the finals. However, Otto believes that a break might not be entirely advantageous for the side.

“Having a week off when everyone else is in action is always tough,” Otto commented ahead of the Elimination Finals scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

“But we’ve gained a lot of confidence from our last match and in training.

“We’re focusing on the small details and ensuring we maintain our confidence and energy levels, which I believe we can manage.”

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Otto and her City teammates will be eagerly watching this weekend’s matches to discover who they will face in the semi-finals, which will be contested over two legs.

They are set to face the lowest-ranked winner from this weekend’s Elimination Finals, and despite their dominant run this season, Otto insists that the team is not looking too far ahead.

“There’s definitely a strong desire to reach the Grand Final this year. It’s something we missed out on last season, and it’s our primary goal after the previous campaign,” she said.

“Winning the league and returning to the AFC (Women’s Champions League) is fantastic, but while we celebrated that success, our main focus is now on the finals, and we’re incredibly excited about that.”

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“Honestly, we haven’t discussed last year’s Grand Final much. Once it ended, we collectively decided that reaching the Grand Final this year was our target. It’s our main goal, and we’re thrilled that the opportunity is here again.”

“At the start of the year, we set our sights on the treble as our main objective. What an opportunity we have to achieve that, and we are all excited after taking the first step. Now, we’re focused on progressing step by step.”