Coach Scott Ellis expects Merewether's top-of-the-table clash with Broadmeadow at Magic Park on Saturday to be "a fantastic advertisement for women's football".
The outcome could end up determining the Herald Women's Premier League minor premiership with only four rounds remaining until finals.
Magic lead the competition standings with 25 points. United, second, moved to 23 and within striking distance of top spot after an 8-0 rout of Thornton on Wednesday night. They still have a game in hand against Mid Coast.
In a seven-goal thriller, Jamee Ellis sealed a 4-3 win for Merewether with a long-range free kick in their last encounter. It was Broadmeadow's only loss of the season while United remain unbeaten.
Magic have picked up former W-League player Gemma Harrison and Erin Wilson since while Melbourne City striker Rhali Dobson has found form with six goals in her past four outings.
"I think it will be everything that a top-of-the-table clash should be," Ellis said.
"They've got some really good players. Erin Wilson coming back has really added to them, as well as Gemma, so they've obviously strengthened. When we last played them Rhali and Jamee had just joined the team, so we were still trying to work out how to fit them in. I think both teams have evolved and improved a lot since that last game."
Magic have scored 38 goals in 10 outings compared to Merewether's 28 in nine but United have the best defensive record in the league. They have leaked only nine goals and finished with four clean sheets while Broadmeadow have let in 14 and conceded in every game except one.
"Both teams are capable of punishing mistakes, so a little bit of my message is going to be, yes we want to play out but we've got to be very careful we don't make any mistakes in dangerous areas because they've got the players that can punish that," Ellis said. "And conversely, so have we if they make a mistake."
In their first full week of training in over month due to a backlog of rescheduled midweek matches, Magic coach Jake Curley put the focus on finishing and defensive structure "to try to limit Rhali".
"I expect that they'll be similar to what they were the first time," Curley said.
"They're good on the counter and they play pretty well. They've got some good players. We mostly just focus on ourselves and if play well, we'll go OK. It should be good."
Thornton goalkeeper Danielle Redding lines up for her 100th WPL appearance when the last-placed Redbacks (0) play fourth-placed Warners Bay at John Street Oval in one of three games on Sunday.
The Panthers will be out to bounce back from a 7-2 defeat at the hands of Newcastle Olympic. Warners Bay (15), Adamstown (13) and Mid Coast (12) are caught in a three-way tussle for fourth place.
Adamstown's unbeaten start to the season came to an abrupt halt in round four when they lost 6-0 to now third-placed Olympic (22) and coach Ryan Campbell said their clash at Adamstown Oval on Sunday was a chance for redemption.
"The girls feel a little bit like that last game changed the season and put us on a bit of a downer, so I think they're hoping that they can use this time to make things start to go in the opposite direction," Campbell said.
WPL leading scorer Jemma House took her season tally to 20 on Wednesday night with four goals as Olympic overpowered New Lambton 5-0.
The two clubs are playing for the Friendship Cup across all four grades. Olympic lead 16 points to Adamstown's four after the first leg.
New Lambton (4) travel to Taree to play Mid Coast.
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