A-League – Match Preview – Perth Glory vs Western Sydney Wanderers

A-League – Match Preview – Perth Glory vs Western Sydney Wanderers

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Can Western Sydney Wanderers negotiate a confident Perth Glory side at nib Stadium and extend their winning streak to eight?

After one poor season, it’s official: Western Sydney Wanderers are back to the dominant force they were in their first two years.  After a slow start this season, it seems Tony Popovic has successfully negotiated the rough waters and steered the team back into safety.

But the Wanderers are more than just safe right now; they’re the best team in the league. Top of the table off the back of seven wins in a row, the Wanderers fear no one, especially after beating the reigning champions Melbourne Victory 2-0 last week. With the Red and Black Bloc back after ending their fan protests and some savvy off-season signings proving their class, it’s a fun time to be a Wanderers fan.

This time last week, any team would be feeling confident heading out west to tackle the Glory. Even now, being worried about travelling to face a team sitting in eighth spot in the league with just 10 goals in as many games seems weird. But Perth, to their credit, have overcome their own disappointing start to the season, to notch back-to-back victories and pull themselves off bottom spot in the league. Whilst it’s too early to pencil them in for the finals, they’ll head into Saturday night’s game against the league-leaders full of confidence.

Key Battle – Michael Thwaite vs Mark Bridge

In the absence of Dino Djulbic, Michael Thwaite has been a rock at centre back for Perth this season. Playing with an often inexperienced backline, the ex-skipper has led by example, providing leadership and class. In the past couple of games, he’s also struck up a promising partnership with young Alex Grant in the heart of defence and they combined to keep Besart Berisha quiet midweek against Melbourne.

After an injury-affected start to the season, Mark Bridge has found his feet, to the delight of Wanderland. With four goals in seven games already this season, the lively striker has started to hit his straps and it’s no surprise Bridge’s great form has coincided with the Wanderers rise to the top of the table. His movement and pace will be a handful for Thwaite and if he can jag a goal, it will significantly boost Western Sydney’s chances of winning, given how goal-shy Perth have been. But Thwaite, who talked about Perth building on their back-to-back wins after the Victory game, certainly won’t make it easy for him and if he can shut down Bridge, it will go a long way to keeping morale high at nib Stadium.

Team News

Given the Wanderers match will be their third game in seven days, it would be no surprise to see Kenny Lowe rest a few players. Nebojsa Marinkovic and Marc Warren both came off injured in the win over the Victory midweek, so expect to see them miss out. Teenager Jamal Reiners is another one who could start from the bench, having played the whole game on Wednesday.

Expect to see an unchanged side for the Wanderers. They were good value for their win over Melbourne in the top-of-the-table clash last weekend, and given their current lack of injuries, it’s safe to say Popovic won’t tamper with a winning formula.

Head-to-Head

It’s Western Sydney who boast dominance in this fixture, having claimed six wins to Perth’s three, with just the lone draw between the two sides. In their four encounters at nib Stadium so far, the two teams have split the games, with two wins apiece.

Last Meeting

Four games into this season, the Wanderers notched their first win of the year, with a deserved 1-0 victory over a below-par Perth at Pirtek Stadium. From the get-go, the hosts controlled the game, constantly stretching Perth’s defence. On the cusp of half time, Dario Vidosic found a way past Ante Covic, beating him with a well-placed strike. It turned out to be the winner, as well as the start of the Wanderer’s current winning streak.

Prediction

Before Wednesday night, this match looked like an easy Wanderers win. However, Perth played with more vigour and passion than they have all season in their last match. They will be brimming with confidence after their midweek victory and if they can build on their performance, they have every chance of causing another upset. This could be the week the Wanderers’ winning streak comes to an end, although perhaps not their unbeaten run.

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Perth Glory 1 Western Sydney Wanderers 1

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