Perth Glory head to Pirtek Stadium with their eyes firmly on breaking into the top six, while Western Sydney Wanderers are looking to retain their lead at the top of the table.
The league leaders vs the underdogs
Six weeks ago a clash between Western Sydney and Perth wouldn’t have seemed consequential to the season – football can change so quickly. Sitting top of the table, the Wanderers are without a win in three meetings find themselves under increasing pressure from Premier challengers Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne City. On the other hand, Perth have come out of the January transfer window firing and look primed to knock Sydney or Melbourne out of the six. It’s all set for an engrossing encounter with big ramifications for the Premiers Plate and finals race.
Perth’s poor record in Parramatta
Although Perth enter the clash in the better form, their record at Pirtek Stadium is terrible. Only one win and three goals away to Western Sydney is a horrid return. The Glory have collected just 11 points in three-and-a-half years against the Wanderers, losing six times in the process. However, they can find solace in the fact that their maiden victory at Western Sydney came at the end of last season, when an inspired Andy Keogh led his side to a 2-1 win. They will be hoping for more of the same from their star striker, as they look to dispatch their bogey team.
Western Sydney’s frustrating past month
The Wanderers have responded strongly after a dismal 2014-15 season, however their most recent month has become quite a concern. Only one win in their past four outings represents a difficult period for Tony Popovic’s men, who drew with Melbourne Victory, Sydney FC, conceded five against Wellington and won a dramatic 4-3 thriller at home to Melbourne City. The most worrying part of this four-game sequence is the eight goals they have conceded at home. After Perth’s six goals against Brisbane last week, this contest could provide some nervy moments for the league leaders who need to find their defensive resilience sooner rather than later.
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