A delayed kick-off sees the Mariners and Adelaide avoid the heat on the Central Coast as they round up the weekend’s action.
Can the Mariners regain dominance in this fixture?
In recent meetings between these two sides, Adelaide have proven a force to be reckoned with, grabbing maximum points in six of the last seven matches – including their encounter earlier in the season in which the Reds won 3-1. However, prior to the past two seasons, this fixture was dominated by the men from New South Wales, who had picked up nine wins in a row in 14 of their, then 25, meetings. Can the Mariners put recent history to bed and send Adelaide home empty-handed or will a new tradition continue to reign?
READ MORE: A-League – Match Preview – Central Coast Mariners vs Adelaide United
Adelaide’s midweek ACL loss
Coming into the clash, the Reds will have to contend with the impact of their midweek loss to Chinses side Shandong Luneng. It means a host of Adelaide players are forced to take on three games in a week, but team morale would also have taken a hit as they crashed out of the Champions League before the group stage. Despite the match taking place in Australia, it is unreasonable to think the extra 90 minutes would not affect the Reds preparation mentally and leave some of their older players feeling physically drained ahead of Sunday’s game.
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Central Coast’s lapses in concentration
Last weekend’s 4-0 loss to Brisbane was a huge setback for the Mariners, with the team suffering a demoralising loss as well as being shut out for just the third time this season. However, the Mariners cannot afford to focus on round 18’s result, particularly given their wayward concentration this season. In second half injury time alone, Central Coast have conceded six goals this season (a league high), versus an Adelaide outfit that has managed to bag 14 goals in that same period of time. The Mariners must maintain concentration or they could see valuable points slip away.
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