Brisbane Roar look to take outright first when they host Newcastle Jets early on Sunday afternoon.
Brisbane’s big win over Sydney FC
Last weekend saw Brisbane go joint top of the table with Melbourne City after an impressive 3-2 win over Sydney FC at Suncorp Stadium. After going 2-0 ahead the Roar suffered a shock comeback from the desperate Sky Blues – with their second coming in the dying minutes of the match. However, instead of throwing their hands in the air, Brisbane showed character and class as they immediately went on the attack, and capitalised almost immediately on a Sydney error to seal a last gasp win. Moreover, the side showed versatility and a winners mentality, in the nature of their goals, and the variety of players who scored them.
Importance of other results
With virtually nothing separating the top side’s heading into the penultimate round of the A-League, and Brisbane sitting on level points with Melbourne City, John Aloisi will be closely watching every result around the league this weekend. Facing Melbourne Victory nex week, while City play Adelaide, the Roar will pay particular attention to the performance of Perth Glory, who face arguably the easiest opposition of those competing for top spot in round 27. So long as Brisbane pick up a win, and City and Perth share the points the Roar will be in the driving seat, but should the Glory grab all three points, their clash with Sydney and goal difference will certainly threaten Brisbane’s Premiership aspirations.
Newcastle’s last outing at Suncorp
Sitting in eighth place, Newcastle certainly do not seem like a tough task for the Roar – who could temporarily go top with a win. But Aloisi’s men will remember all too well what happened last time they under-estimated their struggling visitors. As the Jets run out in Queensland they will be hoping they can emulate their incredible start back in round 19 which saw the Roar 2-1 down inside the first 20 minutes. With a decent record on the road against Brisbane, it would be wise Aloisi does not underestimate his opponents again, or the home side could face an embarrassing and costly defeat.
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