Old foes Western Sydney and Brisbane Roar face of on Sunday for a place in the grand final, with the Wanderers looking to get revenge on their home soil.
PREVIEW – Western Sydney Wanderers vs Brisbane Roar
The fixture’s building rivalry
Sunday afternoon’s encounter sees another chapter written in the growing rivalry between the 2013-14 grand finalists, Brisbane and Western Sydney. After the Wanderers lost their second consecutive final 2-1 to Brisbane, tensions began to form between the clubs, which was then increased by Western Sydney’s success in Asia in the same year the Roar flunked out early. Additionally, this season the Wanderers’ campaign opened with a dismal defeat to Brisbane at home, only for the Red and Black to get one back with a round 27 win over the Nix, meaning they would pip the Queenslanders to the top two. This weekend, fans can expect a heated affair, with more than just a grand final on the line in this growing rivalry.
Brisbane’s finals experience
While Western Sydney may hold the upper hand thanks to a home advantage and week off, Brisbane’s experience in finals cannot be ignored. Not only have the Roar won three of the past five grand finals, they have got the highest win rate of any side in finals football, having victories in 11 of their 18 play-off clashes. This finals experience was evidenced best last weekend, with the side somehow pulling a win out of the hat against Victory, who themselves are well versed in knockout games. Further, Brisbane have picked up wins in five of their last seven meetings with Western Sydney, compounding their finals experience with experience defeating the Wanderers.
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The Wanderland advantage
One of the biggest factors in this semi-final could well be the location. Not only are the Western Sydney Wanderers bolstered by their incredible home support, Brisbane Roar will be hindered by their poor away form. In fact, outside of Queensland, John Aloisi’s men have only managed three wins compared to their 11 at Suncorp Stadium – that is the second-lowest this season, next to the Mariners who managed one. That combined with the Wanderers’ clear advantage on home soil (having won eight of their last 12 games at Wanderland with five clean sheets in that period), gives Tony Popoivic’s men a clear advantage on Sunday afternoon.
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