Brisbane Roar face off against Adelaide United this Saturday with both teams reeling from losses in the previous round.
Adelaide have had to travel from Perth while Brisbane make the trek back from Wellington. Both teams will be itching to return to the field and get their seasons back on track as Suncorp Stadium plays host to last season’s finalists.
Adelaide look to find some form after a stuttering start to the campaign culminated in a 3-1 loss away to Perth Glory last weekend. A fragile defence has been constantly exposed as the Reds lack the attacking impetus of the Gombau era.
Brisbane have had the better start to their 2015/16 A-League season. With a pair of wins from the opening fortnight, the Roar were finally defeated by the Phoenix away from home with a late Blake Powell goal meaning they would not go top of the league.
Key battle – Osama Malik v Jamie Maclaren
It is the battle of the big imposing centre back and the nippy and skilful striker. Both players are integral to their teams chances, with Malik tasked with stopping Maclaren scoring goals and assisting his teammates for fun, as has been the case throughout the season so far. These two players stand as pillars throughout their squad and certain starters for the season ahead. Malik has gradually moved from his original position in defensive midfield, being shaped instead as the strong, uncompromising defender we know today. For Maclaren, his future lays ahead of him, and games against such an intelligent defender will only help his development.
As a team, Brisbane have attacked with vigour this season, outlining their style of play and emphasis on scoring goals, earning the ire of coaches as they struggle to keep a clean sheet. However Maclaren stands as a member of one of the most prolific attacking triads in the A-League at the moment, and his ability to defeat Malik and gain the upper hand will go a long way towards Brisbane winning the game.
Team news
Shane Steffanuto returns from injury for the Roar, adding expereicne to the squad, while Michael Theo will be missing again due to a quad strain, raising doubt from the coaching staff in regards to his ability to last the season, creating an injury headache as the team clearly play better when he is in the starting line-up.
For Adelaide, Bruce Djite is in contention once again after returning from injury, providing the coach with another avenue should he choose to change up the starting team. On the other hand, Brisbane have been shipping goals this season, with assistant coach Ross Aloisi coming out swinging this week at the teams defence. Should James Donachie or Luke DeVere return from injury then a starting position would be guaranteed considering Daniel Bowles’ performances have waned after an encouraging start.
Brisbane Roar Expected XI (4-3-3): Young; Hingert, Bowles, North, Brown; Lustica, McKay, Corona; Broich, Maclaren, Borrello.
Adelaide United Expected XI (4-3-3): Hall; Goodwin, Malik, McGowan, Elrich; Carrusca, Isaias, Jeggo; Cirio, Sanchez, Dugandzic.
Head-to-head
These two teams have faced off on 35 occasions, with Brisbane holding 13 wins to Adelaide’s 14, leaving only 8 draws. This points to what should be an entertaining game with teams often coming out with a win.
Previous meeting
Last time these two teams met it was last seasons finals series, with a blinder of a free-kick from Craig Goodwin putting Adelaide ahead before a well taken goal from Thomas Broich put the Roar back into the game, only to see their equaliser cancelled out by a late winner by Awer Mabil. The game ebbed and flowed with the Adelaide Oval providing a controversial venue, as fans wanted the game to be played at Adelaide’s true home, Hindmarsh Stadium.
Prediction
All arrows point towards a high scoring affair with both teams coming off big losses and question marks hanging over each defence. Adelaide will need to dig deep and overcome the speed and width of Brisbane’s attack in order to have any chance of gaining a result. For Brisbane it is a case of focus on not conceding. Overall, Brisbane stands as the likely winner, due to the home ground advantage and attacking flair, but only just in a narrowly fought victory.
Brisbane Roar 2 Adelaide United 1
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