The ‘Original Rivalry’ and league-leading Melbourne City’s trip to Western Sydney Wanderers headline the action across the Isuzu UTE A-League. KEEPUP previews the fixtures ahead of Round 12, thanks to Neds.
It is the second ‘Original Rivalry’ showdown of the season after the Reds were 3-0 winners at Coopers Stadium in November, and Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory enter Saturday night’s contest with form against them.
Adelaide are coming off a 4-0 humbling at the hands of Central Coast Mariners, while struggling Victory were upstaged 1-0 by Brisbane Roar in Round 11 – a result that sent the Melbourne club to the bottom of the standings.
It is not just last week’s results.
Adelaide – sixth in the table – have lost three of their past four matches. They have only won once since the Isuzu UTE A-League Men resumed following the FIFA Men’s World Cup break in December.
Victory, meanwhile, are riding a three-game losing streak, with just one goal scored in that period. The last time they lost more in succession was a five-game stretch in May 2021, which included a 1-0 loss to Adelaide United.
This will be Victory’s first game without their marquee Nani, who suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against the Roar.
Opta stat: Adelaide United have won six of their last eight A-League Men games against Melbourne Victory in Adelaide (L2) including a 3-0 win when they last hosted the Victory in the competition (November 2022).
Adelaide United v Melbourne Victory
Saturday, January 14 2023
Coopers Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 BOLD & Paramount+
Odds: Adelaide $2.40, Draw $3.35, Victory $2.65
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Can anyone stop Melbourne City? Western Sydney Wanderers will have the chance to take down the league leaders at CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Led by record-breaking Golden Boot leader Jamie Maclaren, in-form attacker Marco Tilio and Socceroos star Mathew Leckie, City have moved six points clear atop the table thanks to a pair of resounding results – 3-1 against Wellington Phoenix followed by a 4-0 demolition of defending champions Western United.
City are also undefeated in their last six A-League Men games against the Wanderers (W4, D2), scoring three or more goals in four of those six games.
So, not only will Western Sydney have to arrest that run but their current form.
Marko Rudan’s third-placed Wanderers have hit a stuttering patch. Western Sydney have only managed one win from their last five games. They will be looking to avoid back-to-back losses in the competition for the first time since February 2022 after succumbing to a 1-0 loss to Perth Glory last week.
Opta stat: Jamie Maclaren has scored 17 goals in 17 A-League Men games against Western Sydney Wanderers, his most against any team and the most of any player against the club in the history of the competition.
Western Sydney Wanderers v Melbourne City
Sunday, January 15 2023
CommBank Stadium
Kick-off: 3.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 BOLD & Paramount+
Odds: Wanderers $3.20, Draw $3.30, City $2.10
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Dwight Yorke v Nick Montgomery. It’s the Manchester United great against the Isuzu UTE A-League’s Coach of the Month for December in the opening game of the round at Campbelltown Stadium on Friday night.
Montgomery has guided the high-flying Mariners to second position in the standings thanks to their entertaining and free-flowing brand of football. Central Coast have taken down Victory and Adelaide in consecutive weeks.
The Mariners, spearheaded by Jason Cummings, Marco Tulio and Samuel Silvera, have scored 24 goals this season – 4.3 more than their total 19.7 Expected Goals; no team has outperformed their xG by more this campaign.
Yorke’s Macarthur are only two points further back in fourth position.
The Bulls have won three of their past four games, keeping three clean sheets in the process as they continue to build on their Australia Cup success.
Macarthur will also be buoyed by the fact they have collected three wins and a draw in their last five matches against the Mariners (L1), having lost their first three contests versus Central Coast.
Opta stat: Mariners star Samuel Silvera has exceeded his Expected Goals by 2.1 and his Expected Assists by 1.1 – making him the only player to have outperformed both his xG and xA by one or more this A-League Men campaign.
Macarthur FC v Central Coast Mariners
Friday, January 13 2023
Campbelltown Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Macarthur $2.95, Draw $3.50, Mariners $2.15
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Are Wellington Phoenix poised to create history when they visit Brisbane Roar at Kayo Stadium on Saturday evening?
Wellington are coming off a heart-stopping 1-0 win over Sydney FC, which saw nine-man Phoenix survive a pair of stoppage-time penalties against the Sky Blues at Allianz Stadium.
The Phoenix, who have won two of their last three A-League fixtures against Brisbane, will be aiming for back-to-back A-League Men wins in Queensland for the first time in the history of the competition, having defeated the Roar 3-0 in March 2022.
Not since October 2015 have Wellington celebrated consecutive victories over Brisbane.
While Brisbane’s eight-match unbeaten streak was snapped by Perth last time out, the Roar have been the story of the season – defying odds and expectations.
Fifth in the standings, Warren Moon’s Roar – who will be without suspended captain Jay O’Shea – are undefeated in their last five A-League Men games at Kayo Stadium (W2, D3), not conceding more than a single goal in any of those fixtures.
Opta stat: Wellington Phoenix have scored four goals from outside the box this campaign, the most of any team in the competition; although Brisbane Roar are one of just two teams (also Melbourne Victory) yet to concede a goal from outside their box.
Brisbane Roar v Wellington Phoenix
Saturday, January 14 2023
Kayo Stadium
Kick-off: 5.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Roar $2.30, Draw $3.30, Phoenix $2.85
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The Perth Glory train is gaining momentum as another home game awaits Ruben Zadkovich’s team on Saturday night, with under-pressure Sydney FC rolling into town.
Back-to-back wins at their temporary home – Macedonia Park – has catapulted the Glory off the foot of the table and up to ninth, just two points outside the finals positions. It’s the first time they have won consecutive matches in the league since a run of four straight victories in May 2021.
As Perth continue to improve, Steve Corica’s Sydney appear to be on the decline.
While Sydney have won 15 of their last 19 A-League Men matches against Perth (D2, L2), they have three defeats in four games this season as they struggle for form.
Adam Le Fondre squandered a pair of stoppage-time penalties last week to leave the Sky Blues eighth in the standings and Corica’s position in the spotlight.
Sydney have lost three of their last four A-League Men games played outside New South
Wales (W1); in fact, each of their last three such fixtures have ended in a 3-1 score with the Sky Blues winning one and losing two of those three games.
Opta stat: Sydney FC have converted just 9% of their total shots into goals this term, their lowest rate in any of the last 11 seasons despite having their highest possession rate (55%) in that same period.
Perth Glory v Sydney FC
Saturday, January 14 2023
Macedonia Park
Kick-off: 10.30pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Glory $3.70, Draw $3.40, Sydney $1.90
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For the first time this season, Western United will head to Ballarat to play at Mars Stadium – Newcastle Jets the opponents on Sunday evening.
Western will be hoping a change of scenery away from AAMI Park and Melbourne can spark the titleholders after their humiliating defeat at the hands of reigning premiers City.
Just a point above bottom position, 11th-placed Western have been made to rue individual and defensive errors throughout the 2022-23 campaign.
But John Aloisi can take confidence from the fact his side are undefeated in their last four A-League Men games against Newcastle Jets (W3, D1) after having picked up just a single competition point from their three meetings in the competition prior (D1, L2).
For the Jets, consistency continues to plague the Newcastle outfit.
The Jets have toppled Adelaide in South Australia and the Mariners in Gosford, however, they have only recorded two wins from their past six outings to languish in 10th spot.
Newcastle have lost seven of their last nine games (W2), including their last two in succession, failing to score a goal in six of those nine games; the last time they failed to score in more than six games in a single season (their current 2022-23 tally) was in 2018-19 (seven games).
Opta stat: Western United have scored six goals in the 76th minute or later this season, the most of any team in the competition and five more than Newcastle Jets (one).
Western United v Newcastle Jets
Sunday, January 15 2023
Mars Stadium
Kick-off: 5.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Western $1.83, Draw $3.50, Jets $3.90
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