Wellington and Sydney run out on Saturday evening after suffering huge losses in round 22, with the Sky Blues dropping out of the top six as a result.
Sky Blues knocked out of the top six
Whether Sydney truly believed it would happen or not, last round Perth Glory saw their 2016 revival come to fruition as they moved into the top six – knocking out the under-performing Sky Blues. With a real chance at not making the finals for the first time since 2012-13, Graham Arnold’s men have no choice but to pick up maximum points from their remaining five games and hope either Perth or Melbourne Victory slip up. To do so, the side will need to capitalise on its home advantage this weekend, and embrace the style of football that won it plaudits against City last round.
Wellington’s defence on the road
After picking up momentum outside of New Zealand last season, the Nix have reverted back to their terrible form on the road. In Wellington’s last six away games alone, they have conceded 17 goals – an average of just under three a game . While Sydney FC certainly have not got the potent attack they have featured in seasons past, they do have a historical upper hand in this fixture, managing an average of +2 goals a game (to the Nix’s less than one) at Allianz Stadium. If history is not to continue for the Kiwis, they will need to capitalise on Sydney’s lack of confidence in front of goal.
READ MORE: A-League – Match Preview – Sydney FC vs Wellington Phoenix
Sydney’s impressive first half against City
Last weekend, Sydney faced City on the back of an incredible midweek win over Guangzhou Evergrande, in conjunction with several suspensions as well as captain Alex Brosque’s injury. However, the Sky Blues rose to the occasion and pulled off their second slick performance in days, overpowering City’s star studded lineup for most of the first half. Although an inability to finish continued to plague Arnold and saw his side give up a late first half goal (and eventually two more in the second 45), Sydney showed the class and character they should have exhibited all campaign, with internationals Milos Dimitrijevic, Milos Ninkovc and Filip Holosko finally reaching their potential. If Sydney can employ that for the rest of the season they could revive their campaign.
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