As the battle for the Minor Premiership intensifies, Adelaide travel to Pirtek Stadium looking to stake their claim for the title against a resurgent Western Sydney Wanderers.
Western Sydney enter this Round 24 matchup off the back of a four game undefeated streak, most recently dispatching the Newcastle Jets 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Jaushua Sotirio. A win for the Wanderers could see them three points clear at the top of the A-League, assuming Brisbane lose their match against Melbourne City.
But right behind the Wanderers are Adelaide United, who have been the inform team in the second-half of the season. With the side on a five match unbeaten streak away from home, the club is going for a record sixth win against the Wanderers, which would also see them sneak past them and potentially into first place should results go their way. However, the Reds are coming into the match off a loss, going down 1-0 to Melbourne City last round thanks to a 71st minute Nick Fitzgerald goal for their first overall loss in 14 matches.
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Key Battle – Mark Bridge vs Eugene Galekovic
When these two sides last faced off on New Years’ Day, it was Eugene Galekovic who won the battle between these two respective club legends, keeping a clean sheet on his way to securing a 0-0 draw between the two sides.
With the Wanderers again having the home advantage, it will most likely come to Mark Bridge to help his side secure three points. With nine goals to his name this season, he has not been the most prolific striker for the side, but there is little doubt that he makes up for that with his big match experience, something which will be a crucial factor on Saturday night.
CrownBet match odds at time of publishing
Yet Galekovic has been drawing constant plaudits for his performances this season since returning from injury. Conceding only 10 goals all season, the veteran custodian has been in red hot form and another solid performance could help Adelaide continue their strong away form.
Team News
Western Sydney have an almost unchanged squad for the match, only promoting Brendan Hamill and Golgol Mebrahtu into the squad to provide depth. Wanderers manager Tony Popovic will be expected to name an unchanged lineup from the previous match against Newcastle, but expect to see some rotation off the bench if they go behind as Brendon Santalab and Dario Vidosic could provide some much needed help in attack.
Adelaide meanwhile have had to make a number of changes to fix holes in the side left as a result of their loss last round against Melbourne City. Jordan Elsey has been suspended for a match as a result of yellow card accumulation and manager Guillermo Amor Martinez has seen fit to call up Mark Ochieng, Ruon Tongyik and Jordan Pudler to provide some depth to the squad. With Elsey out, expect Adelaide to hand youngster Ben Warland his second match of the season, however, this could be a risky move depending on the significance of the match.
Head-to-head
This is the 12th meeting between these two sides, with neither side having a clear advantage, with both having four wins to their names. Adelaide have never won a match against the Wanderers at Pirtek, having lost to Popovic’s men three times on the road, most notably a 6-1 thrashing back in 2012. However, the fixture’s recent history has petered out, with two draws and a slim 2-1 win for the Wanderers being the past three meetings.
Previous Meeting
The last meeting between these two sides played out on the first day of 2016, with neither side securing the three points in a 0-0 draw at Pirtek Stadium. Western Sydney had the most shots with 13 in total. The match was more of a fiery affair though, which was most notable for referee Ben Williams missing two penalty calls during the match before going on Live TV afterwards and admitting his mistakes.
Prediction
Both have a lot to play for here, and with a potential top spot up for grabs, this game will be an exciting one as both sides push to secure a win. While Adelaide finally saw their streak end last round, they will want a strong return to form and with their away form, a large score is certainly possible. However, Western Sydney also possess the same danger and with a bugling streak of their own to protect, they will also want all three points. This game most likely has draw written all over it, due to the fact that both teams will not want to lose and anything too dangerous could cost them in a crucial part of the season.
Western Sydney Wanderers 2 Adelaide United 2
*CrownBet odds at time of publishing are subject to change
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