A-League Preview - Week 11
A-League Preview. The Melbourne Derby will headline Week 11 of the Hyundai A-League with the two Melbourne heavyweights battling for second position on the ladder after some good recent form. Victory are coming off a 3-0 win over Wanderers, whilst City have recorded back-to-back draws against Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar. It promises to be one of the games of the season, with Victory searching for their first win against their arch rivals since the end of last year.
In other games, Newcastle Jets will get things started on Friday night when they take on the Adelaide United. The defending premiers have dropped back to last on the ladder after their 4-0 loss to Brisbane Roar.
Saturday will see Wellington Phoenix take on Western Sydney Wanderers, with the home side coming off a commanding 3-0 victory after Head coach Ernie Merrick resigned mid way through last week. Perth Glory will round off Saturday's fixtures when they host Sydney FC, who are coming off two consecutive draws but still remain in pole position on the competition ladder.
Central Coast Mariners and Brisbane Roar will finish off Week 11 of the 2016/17 season, with the struggling Mariners looking to hold off a Brisbane side who haven't lost a game since Week 2 of the season.
Newcastle Jets vs. Adelaide United
Friday 16th December 7.50pm LOCAL
McDonald Jones Stadium
Newcastle Jets are coming off a drought breaking win last weekend after defeating Perth Glory 2-1. Andrew Hoole is one of the shining lights for Newcastle this year, creating 31 chances which is the most of any player in the competition. They will be looking for back to back victories for the first time since Round 20 and 21 of last season.
It was the perfect opportunity for Adelaide United to resurrect their season, however they again fell short with an abysmal performance against Brisbane Roar. They were coming off their first win of the season but showed no signs of making it two in a row with the 4 -0 defeat sinking them back to last on the competition ladder. They are undefeated in their last six fixtures against Newcastle but have only won once this year.
It’s been an unpredictable season so far and the result of this game could go either way. Both teams have fallen into bad habits this year and I find it hard to split them considering their recent form.
Tip: Newcastle Jets 1 Adelaide United 1
Best bet: Draw ($3.40)
Did you know? There have been only three goals scored in the last four games between these teams, all of which coming in the opening half of the fixtures.
Wellington Phoenix vs. Western Sydney Wanderers
Saturday 17th December 5.35pm LOCAL
Mount Smart Stadium
Inconsistent form is a common phrase used among many teams this season, and no more so than Wellington Phoenix who have recorded three wins and three losses in their last six fixtures. They are coming off a powerful 3-0 win against Central Coast Mariners, and have won two of their past three fixtures at home with Chris Greenacre as head coach. Phoenix have not recorded back-t0-back victories since Round 2 and 3 of last season.
They fought hard in Week 9 for a strong victory against the Mariners, but couldn’t manage to maintain their form with a 3-0 loss to Melbourne Victory last weekend. They sit in sixth place on the competition ladder and will be looking for back-to-back away wins for the first time since November 2015.
Last week saw a return to form for Wellington Phoenix as they search for some consistency in their campaign this year. They are up against a side who could well cause an upset considering the potential and experience in their squad.
Tip: Wellington Phoenix 2 Western Sydney Wanderers 1
Best bet: Anytime goal scorer Roy Krishna ($2.60)
Did you know? Phoenix striker Roy Krishna has been on target with 65% of his total shots at goal this Hyundai A-League season, the most accurate of any player who has hit 20+ shots.
Melbourne City vs. Melbourne Victory
Saturday 17th December 7.50pm LOCAL
AAMI Park
The Melbourne Derby doesn’t get much better when both sides are in top form, but Melbourne City will be kicking their heels after sharing the spoils in their last two fixtures. Their draw against Sydney FC was a feiry encounter that saw Sydney reduced to 10 men. They are undefeated in their last three Melbourne Derby’s (2W, 1L) and will be looking for their third Derby win in a row this weekend.
Melbourne Victory are coming off their third win in four fixtures with a dominant 3-0 win against Western Sydney Wanderers. Star striker Bersart Berisha inspired the win with a remarkable hat-trick, and now leads the competition with eight goals this season. He will go head to head with City captain Bruno Fornaroli, who has scored four goals in his last four appearances in the Derby. They will be desperate for their first win against their arch rivals since November 2015.
This fixture will be the cornerstone of Week 11 and promises to be a blockbuster. Victory may have been in better form in recent weeks but City still sit second on the ladder. With Tim Cahill may be ruled out, I think Victory will come away with the three points.
Tip: Melbourne City 0 Melbourne Victory 1
Best bet: Melbourne Victory win ($2.80)/ Bruno Fornaroli anytime goal scorer ($2.10)
Did you know? Victory has won their last three Hyundai A-League games on a Saturday, keeping a clean sheet on every occasion and scoring eight goals of their own in that span.
Perth Glory vs. Sydney FC
Saturday 17th December 10.00pm LOCAL
NIB Stadium
Perth Glory have continued their run of poor form with another loss to Newcastle Jets on Saturday evening. They have conceded 19 goals so far this season, including five in their past three fixtures. They haven't won at home against Sydney FC under Kenny Lowe, but will be looking to continue their impressive starts having scored in the opening 15 minutes on four occasions this season.
Sydney FC were up against a tough Melbourne City outfit last weekend, and salvaged a 1 all draw after being reduced to 10 men. They remain first on the ladder and six points clear of City, and still boast the best attacking record (21 goals) and defensive record (4 goals) in the competition. They have kept four clean sheets in their last five fixtures away from home.
Perth are fighting hard but still haven't hit the form they found early this year, and are up against Sydney FC who will be determined to keep their undefeated streak alive. Sydney have been impressive away from home this year and I see no different in this encounter.
Tip: Perth Glory 0 Sydney FC 2
Best bet: Away team clean sheet ($3.00)
Did you know? The Sky Blues have made 63.4% of their total passes within opposition the opposition half this Hyundai A-League season. The record is the most of any team and more than eight percentage points more than Perth (55.1%).
Central Coast Mariners vs. Brisbane Roar
Sunday 18th December 5.00pm LOCAL
Central Coast Stadium
Central Coast Mariners fell to their third loss in five games after a poor performance against Wellington Phoenix on the weekend. They have the worst defensive record in the competition (20 goals), and have only had 86 shots on goal which is the least of any team. They will be looking for their third win of the season in an attempt to climb above second last on the ladder.
Brisbane Roar finally broke their run of four consecutive draws with a resounding 4-0 victory over Adelaide United. The win was inspired by a Thomas Kristensen brace, whilst Jamie Maclaren also continued his good form with his fifth goal of the year. They will be looking for their seventh consecutive victory against the Mariners, having enjoyed a 16-2 goal difference over that period.
Brisbane haven't lost since Week Two of the competition and boast a defensive line that has conceded just 10 goals this year. Mariners will do well to come away with the victory but I can't see that happening considering their recent form.
Tip: Central Coast Mariners 0 Brisbane Roar 3
Best bet: Brisbane Roar handicap -1.0 ($2.80)
Did you know? Brisbane Roar has conceded just two first half goals this campaign. It is the fewest of any team in the competition, whilst no team have conceded more than the Mariners in the same period.
Blue Bet Words: Andre Cupido
