Catch up on the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week, powered by Opta.
The Isuzu UTE A-League 2025-26 season continued with plenty of entertainment and drama over the weekend.
Round 18 saw plenty of standout performances but it was Melbourne Victory’s Spanish star Juan Mata who stole the show with a stunning performance in the Melbourne Derby.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE
This season, Opta will power the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week using Opta Points – a comprehensive player metric that evaluates a player’s overall contribution to the game. Each Monday, the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week will be displayed in a 4-3-3 formation, highlighting the best-performing players.
*Editor’s Note: The Team of the Week features matches played from Monday to Sunday – some teams may play more than once.
Joining Mata in midfield in this week’s Team of the Week are two goalscorers in the form of Adelaide United’s Jonny Yull and Newcastle Jets gun Lachie Bayliss.
Given they played two games last week there are plenty of Auckland FC stars in mix with fullbacks Francis De Vries and Hiroki Sakai both selected in a defensive unit that also features Central Coast Mariners goalscoring hero James Donachie.
Another side to have played twice last week were Sydney FC and both Alexandar Popovic and goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares, who helped the Sky Blues defeat Brisbane Roar on Saturday evening.
Up front it’s a trio dominated by Auckland FC players as Jesse Randall and Guillermo May earn their place in the side alongside Sydney FC young gun Tiago Quintal.
Opta Points is a system where points are given to players for certain on-field actions. Players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points. (View the full breakdown of Opta Points below).
Explained: Opta’s Team of the Week using Opta Points
The scoring system distinguishes only between field players and goalkeepers, assigning the same number of points to all field players for corresponding actions. A distinctive feature of this system is its exclusive focus on in-game actions, refraining from awarding points for post-game performances, such as securing a victory or allocating bonus points for maintaining a clean sheet.
Positive actions (goals, passes, tackles, etc…) will add to a player’s score and, conversely, negative actions (cards, own goals, goals conceded) will reduce a player’s points total. Theoretically, a player’s points value is unlimited, and players can conclude a game with negative points. However, players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points.
Goals, Shots on target, shots off target, blocked shots, own goal, assists, passes, crosses, tackles, interceptions, fouls won, fouls conceded, offsides, yellow cards, red cards, goals conceded, penalty won, saves, penalty saved are included in Opta Points.
