It’s do or die as Sydney FC face off against Adelaide United at Allianz Stadium this Saturday night, with an A-League Grand Final berth awaiting the victor.
Fresh from ending the season of former champions Brisbane Roar, the Reds will be looking to maintain a near-perfect record against the Sky Blues this season and put another highly touted side to the sword. Meanwhile, Sydney’s impressive late season form saw them finish second overall and they head into this clash well-rested following a week off from games.
Josep Gombau’s men were made to work for their semi-final place. Craig Goodwin opened the equalising with a stunning free kick from range, but a defensive blunder by the usually reliable Dylan McGowan let Roar talisman Thomas Broich in for the equaliser. Adelaide would leave it late to wrap up the match, with young Socceroo Awer Mabil nabbing the winning goal in the 87th minute after some neat build up play by former Galactico Miguel Palanca.
While Adelaide scraped it out at home, the Sydney-based semi-finalists were afforded the luxury of a weekend off. Their last outing, now two weeks ago, was an awkward away trip to Wellington to secure second spot. Sydney recovered from a shaky start and opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Bernie Ibini fired home from a tight angle. Just twenty minutes later, Sydney would extend their lead with former Phoenix player Shane Smeltz slotting a neat penalty past Lewis Italiano. Despite a late charge, the Sky Blues would hold on for a professional 2-1 victory.
Key Battle – Mickael Tavares vs. Marcelo Carrusca
Joining as a free agent in January, Mickael Tavares has been nothing short of sensational in the heart of midfield for the Sky Blues. Winning 23 of his 25 tackles and completing a tidy 90% of his passes, Tavares’ solidity has proved the perfect compliment to the skill and flair of his partner, Milos Dimitrejivic. Will he, however, be able to contain arguably the most creative player in the league? Much like Adelaide itself, Marcelo Carrusca is just about unplayable on his day. The classy Argentinian has registered seven goals and three assists in the 2014/2015 A-League season,t and is likely to operate just behind Bruce Djite in a traditional number 10 role. Only just coming back from a quadricep injury, Carrusca managed just 65 minutes against the Roar.
Tavares will need all of his defensive acumen and experience if he is to successfully protect his back four against the wielding wand that is Marcelo Carrusca’s left boot.
[interaction id=”554c0121103be6e07093f59b”]
Team News
Sydney FC have used the week off effectively to rest some big names. Most notably, Golden Boot winner Marc Janko looks set to play after missing the Sky Blues final round clash in Wellington. If fit, expect the Austrian star to slot straight back into the side. Terry Antonis is likely to miss out altogether once again, as a knee tendon injury continues to plague his season.
Predicted Sydney FC Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Janjetovic; Petkovic, Faty, Jurman, Grant; Dimitrejivic, Tavares; Naumoff, Brosque (C), Ibini; Janko.
Gombau’s men were bolstered by the return of chief creator Marcelo Carrusca last time out, and the Argentinian will look to continue his recovery with another start against the Sky Blues. Bruce Djite is expected to start up front, brushing off a groin injury to return to the side. Midfielder Jimmy Jeggo faces a race against time to overcome a knock to the ankle sustained at training.
Predicted Adelaide United Starting XI: (4-3-3): Galekovic (C); McGowan, Malik, Boogard, Elrich; Isaias, Jeggo, Carrusca; Cirio, Goodwin, Djite.
Head-to-head
A worrying statistic for Graham Arnold is that Sydney FC haven’t beaten the Reds in their previous seven encounters and of the 32 matches played in A-League history, the home side have only won on 12 occassions with Adelaide claiming victory on 15 occassions. The points have been split five times – not that this will be be the outcome on Saturday night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r80ysylqK3s
Previous Meeting
The two sides last met just over a month ago, when Adelaide came to visit the Sydney-siders as they will again on Saturday. Sydney started well, dominating possession and preventing the Reds from registering a shot on goal in the opening stanza. A catalogue of chances were passed up by the hosts and as the game went on, Adelaide began to grow in stature before Mabil was on-hand to net an 82nd minute winner. Mabil’s goal was enough for the Reds to secure all three points, with the scoreline remaining 1-0 by the conclusion of the match.
Prediction
A match-up deserved of a semi-final, with two sides of equal ability. But given their recent dominance over the Sky Blues, Gombau’s men might just spoil Sydney’s party.
Sydney FC 1 Adelaide United 2
If you fancy a flutter on this weekend’s game then head over to Ladbrokes for the best odds. Gamble responsibly.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
