Alexander Baumjohann is ready for the hostile reception that awaits him at Bankwest Stadium on a night he says he has been looking forward to since the moment he signed for Sydney FC.

Anticipation is at fever pitch for Saturday night's sold-out A-League derby, with former Western Sydney Wanderers star Baumjohann one of the biggest contributors to the pre-match hype.

Alexander Baumjohann says winning is "inside the blood" for Sydney FC. Credit:Wolter Peeters

The 32-year-old has not been shy about expressing his disappointment with his time at the Wanderers and how pleased he is to have defected to the Sky Blues, a team he says have winning "inside their blood", and whose internal stability has allowed him to find his feet quickly.

All 30,000 tickets have been snapped up for the first derby of the season, the vast majority by long-suffering Western Sydney fans who have seen just one win in their last 17 meetings with Sydney.