Adelaide United play host to visitors Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday with both sides desperate to enter the winner’s circle for the first time this season.
Adelaide opened their campaign in frustrating fashion with a 0-0 draw against Melbourne Victory a week ago, after struggling to play with an energetic passing tempo synonymous with the Reds. After playing the first game of the season at Adelaide Oval, many fans will view this clash at Coopers Stadium with the Wanderers as United’s inaugural official home match of the campaign, given it is played in their familiar surroundings. Anything but a convincing, positive performance from the hosts could begin to raise a few eyebrows regarding the evolution of the team moving forward and if it has the credentials to be a genuine title contender.
Meanwhile, Tony Popovic’s new-look Western Sydney outfit got off to the worst possible start, after it was humbled 3-1 at home by Brisbane Roar. A major reshuffle during the winter months saw several integral players depart the club, which was justified by a need to freshen the team up and revitalise that competitive edge, after the success from Asian Champions League inadvertently took its toll physically and emotionally last year. The acquisitions of Spaniards Dimas Delgado, Andreu and Alberto Aguilar alongside the addition of Italian Federico Piovaccari and former United midfielder Dario Vidosic indicates WSW are more than capable of holding the ‘dark horse’ status this term.
Key Battle – Sergio Cirio vs Mitch Nichols
Sergio Cirio again holds the key to a Reds triumph in this match. The diminutive Spaniard’s imperious dribbling ability could cause the Wanderers defence all sorts of problems if they fail to restrict the space he can operate in. Able to cut inside or outside of his opponent, Cirio will need to ensure he is back to his best for Adelaide to have a chance of winning, following their scoreless stalemate last time out versus the Victory.
In contrast, Nichols is astute in positioning himself between the lines where he makes clever runs into the box. The 26-year-old, who scored in his first league appearance at Wanderland, is also known for his tireless work-rate covering a vast majority of the pitch and it will be that sort of intensity that Popovic is after to nullify United from boasting long spells of possession.
Team News
Guillermo Amor will welcome the return of Tarek Elrich from Socceroos duty, but will have to do without striker Bruce Djite. The 28-year-old suffered a groin injury and will be on the sidelines for at least another two weeks. Ex-Wanderer Iacopo La Rocca will also miss the encounter against his former club as he still nurses a broken foot. Added to the injury list on Wednesday was custodian Eugene Galekovic, who was ruled out for six weeks through injury.
Adelaide United Expected XI (4-3-3): Hall (GK); Marrone, McGowan, Malik, Elrich; Isaias, Jeggo, Carrusca; Goodwin, Babalj, Cirio.
As for Western Sydney, Popovic will again be unable to call upon experienced forward Brenton Santalab who is batting a thigh injury. Golgol Mehbratu is also omitted as he continues to recover from a hamstring strain. However, fans have reason to be optimistic with the possible returning duo of fan favourite Mark Bridge and Shannon Cole with the pair desperate to overcome groin injuries.
Western Sydney Wanderers Expected XI (4-2-3-1): Redmayne (GK); Neville, Hamill, Topor-Stanley, Jamieson; Dimas, Pepper; Vidosic; Sotirio, Nichols; Piovaccari.
Head-to-Head
Adelaide and the Wanderers have met on eight occasions with nothing separating the two sides overall as both have registered four wins leaving a solitary draw. Incidentally, the Wanderers have not beaten the South Australian outfit at Coopers Stadium since February 2013.
Previous Meeting
The last time these two clubs met occurred back in April when second half goals from Bridge and Tomi Juric cancelled out Sergio Cirio’s strike to hand the Wanderers a 2-1 victory.
Prediction
More will be expected from both sides heading into this intriguing matchup. The onus will be on the Reds to dictate proceedings in their natural surroundings, being the home outfit. The ability to create clear-cut opportunities is something Amor will want to bear witness to, given the already perceived lack of fluidity in the attacking third. Conversely, the Wanderers will also want to quickly move on from its previous outing, where it endured a surprise 3-1 home defeat. Popovic will be keen to see signs of improvement within his squad, as the side will continue to gel for at least a couple more weeks, due to the plethora of personnel changes over the offseason.
Adelaide United 1 Western Sydney Wanderers 1
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