The first weekend of NPL Men’s First Grade and Under-23s football has arrived in the capital, as Stryda Park plays host to four back-to-back matches on Saturday 29 August.
Read each match preview below:
NPL Men’s Under-23s
Match 1: NPLM U23 Semi Final- Monaro Panthers vs Canberra Juventus 10:00am Stryda Park
Monaro Panthers will host Canberra Juventus in the battle of third and sixth for the first NPL Men’s U23s Semi Final of the day.
The Panthers finished six points off top spot, and despite having a league-best 62 goals, it was the 35 conceded at the other end that ultimately fell short of the top two.
Monaro did however put five past second-placed Belconnen United when the two met several weeks before the end of the season, although Cristian Meza’s outfit ended their campaign with a 6-2 loss to seventh-placed Canberra Croatia, and a 2-2 draw against Canberra White Eagles.
Opponents Juventus captured a finals spot on the last matchday, finishing sixth, just one point clear of Croatia following a 3-2 away win against Tuggeranong.
The third-lowest goalscorers in the league with 35, Luka Brozinic’s side were much more impressive at the other end, with a superior defensive record than most in the division.
When the two teams met in 2026, Monaro came away with a 5-3 victory in Round 6, before Luka Brozinic’s Juventus fought back to claim a Round 18 2-1 win at home, secured by an 81st-minute winner.
Match 2: NPLM U23 Semi Final- Queanbeyan City vs Tuggeranong United 1:00pm Stryda Park
Both Queanbeyan and Tuggeranong meet in the second match of the weekend and represent two of three sides including Monaro who finished on 37 points in the NPL Men’s U23s.
Queanbeyan finished above Tuggeranong in fourth thanks to a marginally higher goal difference, in what has been a much-improved 2026, having finished bottom the previous season.
A contrasting defensive record stands out as the key difference from last campaign, conceding the second-least in the league with 25.
Despite wins against Monaro and Belconnen in 2026, Queanbeyan generally struggled against the top teams, and lost two of their two league encounters with Tuggeranong United.
The Kambah-based outfit had an almost identical record to City, with most of their success against the top sides in the league coming against Juventus and Queanbeyan.
Round 2, and Round 16 wins for Tuggeranong against Queanbeyan will undoubtedly fuel the confidence behind Van Nguyen’s squad heading into the fixture.
NPL Men’s First Grade
Match 3: NPLM First Grade Semi Final- Tigers FC vs Canberra Juventus 4:00 pm
Having missed out on a top two finish on the final day, Tigers FC will have a point to prove in the first round of finals when they take on sixth-placed Canberra Juventus, with the winner set to face Monaro Panthers next Saturday.
Despite three losses from their first six matches in the league, Ali Efe’s team have had an incredible second half of the campaign and have lost just once in their last 14 matches.
When it comes to one-off games, there has not been a better side in recent memory.
Tigers not only won out in the last finals campaign but also claimed the 2026 Charity Shield earlier this year and secured Australia Cup Round of 32 qualification.
One of the four defeats handed to them this campaign has come from Juventus however, who in their first season back in the top-flight for 20 years secured finals qualification.
A 3-2 victory against Tigers in the third round of the campaign will offer plenty of encouragement for the away side, in what was a dream start to the club’s NPL Men’s return, with three wins from their first four.
Since that result however, Juventus has only been able to beat Tuggeranong United from the top six, amongst positive results against opponents on the lower end of the table.
Match 4: NPLM First Grade Semi Final- Tuggeranong United vs Queanbeyan City 7:00 pm
Fourth plays fifth as Tuggeranong United takes on Queanbeyan City, with Canberra Croatia waiting in the wings next weekend.
Tuggeranong entered the final fortnight in the NPL Men’s title race still competing for first, however late season positive results from the top three teams resulted in the club finishing in fourth place.
Despite settling in the same position last season Mitch Stevens’ team almost doubled their points tally, in a year that saw the club inflict on Canberra Croatia one of two 2026 defeats, excluding a forfeit, and see off Tigers at Kambah in Round 6.
Heading into this match with two wins on the bounce, spirits will be high, particularly having already beaten Queanbeyan in Round 2.
A more recent 4-2 win for City however, will instill plenty of belief in the side based in New South Wales, who will also enter the contest with just one defeat in their last seven, and with plenty of high-pressure knockout match experience recently.
A run to the final of the Australia Cup Qualifying tournament in 2025, followed by a Semi-Final finish in 2026 will mean Goran Josifovski’s outfit are used to the weight of these games.
Recent success against Canberra Juventus, Saturday’s opponents, and a point against Tigers in the final stretch of Queanbeyan’s season will ensure the confidence remains high.
Watch every match LIVE during the Finals Series on the Capital Football YouTube channel.
