There are so many storylines surrounding Saturday night’s Melbourne Victory-Western Sydney Wanderers showdown at AAMI Park.
Only three teams claimed maximum points in the opening round of the 2022-23 Isuzu UTE A-League season – Victory and the Wanderers were among the victors, along with defending premiers Melbourne City. But lets focus on a returning star.
Lawrence Thomas. The popular goalkeeper returns to Melbourne, where he won two Championships, a Premiership, Australia Cup and Joe Marston Medal during his nine-year spell with Victory up until 2020. However this time around, Thomas comes to town as the opposing keeper. Back in Australia following a stint at Danish outfit SonderjyskE, the 30-year-old kept a clean sheet in Western Sydney’s season-opening 1-0 triumph over Perth Glory.
It wasn’t pretty against the Glory – Sulejman Krpic settled the contest with a scrappy goal – but the new-look Wanderers kicked off a fresh era. “I thought we were one of the best looking teams in round one,” is what head coach Mark Rudan said afterwards.
Now, for the marquee man – Nani, who will make his home debut under lights in the A-League Men. The Manchester United and Portugal great had his first taste of the ALM last week in a thrilling 3-2 win away to Sydney FC and he did not disappoint. With an assist and his post-match celebrations, the four-time Premier League champion added plenty of stardust to Round 1.
Opta stat: Western Sydney have won four of their last six A-League Men games against Victory (D1, L1) after winning only one of their 17 previous games against them (D4, L12).
MATCH DETAILS
Melbourne Victory v Western Sydney Wanderers
Saturday, October 15 2022
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 Bold & Paramount+
Odds: Victory $1.77, Draw $3.50, Wanderers $4.20
MATCH CENTRE | BUY TICKETS | HOW TO WATCH
Red-hot City head to ‘Brisvegas’ eyeing a four-year first
When was the last time Melbourne City opened a season with back-to-back wins? You’d have to go back to 2017-18, when they recorded four consecutive victories, including a triumph over Brisbane Roar.
It’s been a long wait, but Patrick Kisnorbo’s City visit Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, buoyed by their performance against Western United. The 2021-22 premiers were utterly dominant in the Grand Final rematch – spearheaded by reigning Golden Boot winner Jamie Maclaren, a lively Mathew Leckie, an industrious Andrew Nabbout and man of the match Valon Berisha.
City look to be a team on a mission, hellbent on going one step further than last season. However, the Roar are undefeated in their last six ALM fixtures at Suncorp Stadium, where they have won four games and drawn two, keeping a clean sheet in each of their past two clashes at the venue.
Led by former Premier League star Charlie Austin, Brisbane fired a blank in a goalless draw with Australia Cup champions Macarthur FC last time out. But it was an impressive debut from Austin, who was adamant the Roar should’ve taken more from the game against Dwight Yorke’s Bulls.
Expect the Roar to come out all guns blazing on home soil.
Opta stat: Melbourne City have won five of their last six A-League Men games against Brisbane Roar (L1) including their last two on the bounce; although, they’ve won only one of their last seven meetings at Suncorp Stadium in the competition (D2, L4).
MATCH DETAILS
Brisbane Roar v Melbourne City
Friday, October 14 2022
Suncorp Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Roar $3.20, Draw $3.50, City $2.10
MATCH CENTRE | BUY TICKETS | HOW TO WATCH
Lift off for the Jets in Newcastle?
Arthur Papas’ plans for the 2022-23 season had started with a trip to Gosford for an F3 Derby. Mother Nature, though, had other ideas… grounding Newcastle Jets in Round 1.
With that false start behind them, the Jets will finally kick-off their campaign against last season’s wooden spooners Perth, and Newcastle are a different side on paper this term. Daniel Penha headlined the departures, though the likes of Brandon O’Neill, Reno Piscopo, Trent Buhagiar and Jaushua Sotirio have jetted in to join Papas’ project.
The last time these two sides met, the Jets embarrassed the Glory 6-1 in April – the joint-biggest win in the history of this fixture. With that in mind, Newcastle now have the chance to record back-to-back ALM victories over Perth for the first time since November 2011.
Ruben Zadkovich’s Glory dug deep against the Wanderers in Round 1 but left Western Sydney emptyhanded. Expected a similar performance from a team looking to avoid opening a season with back-to-back losses for just the third time in their A-Leagues history, after beginning each of their 2009-10 and 2015-16 campaigns with two straight defeats.
Opta stat: Newcastle Jets are winless in their last three A-League Men games at McDonald Jones Stadium (D1 L2) after having won all but three of their previous nine games at their home venue (W6, D1, L2).
MATCH DETAILS
Newcastle Jets v Perth Glory
Saturday, October 15 2022
McDonald Jones Stadium
Kick-off: 5.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Jets $1.64, Draw $3.70, Glory $4.75
MATCH CENTRE | BUY TICKETS | HOW TO WATCH
Take two for the Mariners across the ditch
The wild and wet weather on the Central Coast not only denied Matt Simon a proper send off and fans a chance to see Garang Kuol before he jetted off on international duty with the Young Socceroos, it put the Mariners’ start to the season on hold.
Fast forward a week, and Nick Montgomery’s Mariners – eyeing their first six-game winning streak since December 2011 – will get their campaign underway. And the opening-round postponement may have been a blessing, with Nigerian import Kelechi John in contention to return and debut away to Wellington Phoenix.
Sky Stadium is a happy hunting ground for Jason Cummings and the Mariners, who routed the Phoenix 4-0 upon their return home to New Zealand in April last season. Cummings was among the goalscorers and the Socceroo has been involved in seven goals across his last seven ALM away fixtures (five goals and two assists).
Like last week, the Phoenix are back in Wellington in front of their home fans. Though Ufuk Talay’s men will be hoping for less drama. Against Adelaide United, they had debutant Yan Sasse sent off in the 25th minute and conceded a 93rd-minute equaliser.
Opta stat: Central Coast Mariners have won their last two ALM games against Wellington Phoenix, outscoring them 9-0 across those meetings; the last time they won more successive games against the Phoenix was a six-game stretch from November 2010 to November 2012.
MATCH DETAILS
Wellington Phoenix v Central Coast Mariners
Sunday, October 16 2022
Sky Stadium
Kick-off: 1.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Phoenix $2.35, Draw $3.35, Mariners $2.70
MATCH CENTRE | BUY TICKETS | HOW TO WATCH
Macarthur are in it to win it!
“We are here to win it. That has always been the mentality.” That’s the message from Macarthur head coach Dwight Yorke, who already has an Australia Cup title to his name through six matches in charge of the Bulls.
Yorke, though, will be hoping for an improved performance after the stalemate in Brisbane. Sunday’s visit of Adelaide will be a chance for Macarthur, who missed the finals in 2021-22, to reset as the jubilation of their Australia Cup success fades.
Adelaide – last season’s semi-finalists – are undefeated in their last six regular-season games in the A-League Men (W5, D1). The last time they went longer without a league loss was a seven-game stretch from July 2020 to January 2021 (W3, D4).
And the Reds could see star captain Craig Goodwin return to the starting XI after the Socceroo was named among the substitutes in Wellington following an injury-interrupted pre-season. Adelaide also regain Hiroshi Ibusuki and Nestory Irankunda.
Opta stat: Macarthur are winless in their last three ALM games at Campbelltown Stadium (D1,L2); not since their first four games at the venue (D2, L2) have they endured a longer run without a win at their home venue.
MATCH DETAILS
Macarthur FC v Adelaide United
Sunday, October 16 2022
Campbelltown Stadium
Kick-off: 3.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 Play & Paramount+
Odds: Macarthur $2.30, Draw $3.35, Adelaide $2.80
MATCH CENTRE | BUY TICKETS | HOW TO WATCH
A battle of the walking wounded
Both Western United and Sydney FC are emerging from defeats, though the manner of those losses were contrasting.
Aside from an early chance for James Troisi, Western were outplayed by a dominant Melbourne City in the league’s curtain-raiser. While Sydney went down to Melbourne Victory in the ‘Big Blue’, there were positive signs from a new-look team with a new formation under Steve Corica.
Robert Mak was a shining light in his first Sky Blues appearance and the Slovakia international will again be at the heart of Sydney’s plans in Melbourne, where they will be without Sydney captain Alex Wilkinson because of a groin issue sustained against Victory. Western will also be missing a key defensive puzzle, with Tomoki Imai sidelined for between six and seven weeks after undergoing shoulder injury.
Sunday’s battle represents an opportunity to kick-start the season, especially for a Sydney team that missed the finals for the first time in six years and who are in the midst of a four-match losing streak. A fifth straight defeat would equal the club’s record longest losing streak in the competition (five consecutive losses in December 2010).
Opta stat: Sydney have won three of their last five A-League Men games against Western United (D1, L1), keeping a clean sheet in each of those three wins.
MATCH DETAILS
Western United v Sydney FC
Sunday, October 16 2022
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 5.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Western $2.80, Draw $3.35, Sydney $2.30
MATCH CENTRE | BUY TICKETS | HOW TO WATCH
