| Competition: | A-League finals series |
| Season: | 2019–20 |
| Dates: | 22–30 August 2020 |
| Matches: | 5 |
| Total Goals: | 7 |
| League Topscorer Section: | Top scorers |
| League Topscorer: | 6 players (1 goal) |
| Highest Scoring: | (Semi-finals, 26 August 2020) (Semi-finals, 26 August 2020) |
| Highest Attendance: | 7,051 Sydney FC 1–0 Melbourne City (Grand Final, 30 August 2020) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 1,897 Melbourne City 2–0 Western United (Semi-finals, 26 August 2020) |
| Winners: | Sydney FC |
| Prevseason: | 2019 |
| Nextseason: | 2021 |
The 2020 A-League finals series was the 15th annual edition of the A-League finals series, the playoffs tournament staged to determine the champion of the 2019–20 A-League season. The series was played over three weeks culminating in the 2020 A-League Grand Final, where Sydney FC won a record fifth championship 1–0 against Melbourne City.[1]
The series was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, where the entire finals series was played at Bankwest Stadium (now CommBank Stadium) under the New South Wales hub, and forced the elimination-finals to be played behind closed doors and semi-finals onwards to be restricted in capacity.[2]
See also: 2019–20 A-League.
| Sydney | |
|---|---|
| Bankwest Stadium | |
| Capacity: 30,000 | |
The system used for the 2020 A-League finals series is the modified top-six play-offs by the A-Leagues. The top two teams enter the two-legged semi-finals receiving the bye for the elimination-finals in which the teams from third placed to sixth place enter the elimination-finals with "third against sixth" and "fourth against fifth". Losers for the elimination finals are eliminated, and winners qualify for the semi-finals.
The first-placed team in the semi-finals plays the lowest-ranked elimination-final winning team and second placed team in the semi-finals plays the highest-ranked elimination-final winner. Usually, the home-state advantage goes to the team with the higher ladder position but all matches were changed to neutral hub matches due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.
Third-placed Wellington Phoenix won their most recent clash against sixth-placed Perth Glory, ahead of this elimination final between the two.[3] Joel Chianese scored the only goal of the match, to send Perth Glory through to the semi-final against Sydney FC.[4]
----Fourth-placed Brisbane Roar went up against fifth-placed inaugural club Western United.[5] Alessandro Diamanti scored a free kick goal, and won 1–0 for Western United, sending them through to the semi-final against Melbourne City.[6]
Melbourne City won all three matches against Western United in the regular season, ahead of this semi-final between the two.[7] City won 2–0 thanks to a penalty goal by Jamie Maclaren and an own goal by Tomoki Imai, to send them through to their first ever Grand Final.[8]
----Sydney FC and Perth Glory met in this semi-final; the same teams as the previous grand finalists from the 2019 A-League Grand Final.[9] Sydney won 2–0 through goals by Miloš Ninković and Adam Le Fondre, heading for the Grand Final.[10]
See main article: 2020 A-League Grand Final.
Defending champions Sydney FC were looking for a record fifth Australian national league championship, against first-timers Melbourne City looking for their first championship.[11] City who looked to have scored the opening goal by Harrison Delbridge, was ruled out offside until the match ended goalless after 90 minutes. In extra time, Rhyan Grant scored in the 100th minute with his second Grand Final goal and won the match for Sydney winning a record fifth championship.[12]