There are high-stakes fixtures across the competitions as teams fight to reach the finals. KEEPUP previews all the action across Round 23 of the Isuzu UTE A-League, brought to you by Neds.
Melbourne City are edging closer to yet another Premier’s Plate ahead of Monday’s visit of Wellington Phoenix.
City are five points clear atop the summit thanks to a run of four games without a loss amid the surge of Adelaide.
The reigning premiers are also undefeated in their last six games against the Phoenix in the A-
League Men (W4 D2) scoring an average of three goals per game in that period; their last defeat to the Phoenix came in February 2020 (1-0).
Wellington are looking to arrest a two-game losing streak, conceding seven goals in that period. The last time they lost more in succession was a four-game stretch from December 2021 to January 2022.
AAMI Park will pit two star strikers against each other in contrasting form.
Jamie Maclaren is the Golden Boot leader with 18 goals but the Socceroo has not scored in his last five games. The last time he went longer without a goal in the A-League Men was a six-game stretch from November 2014 to January 15.
Wellington’s Oskar Zawada, meanwhile, has found the back of the net on 13 occasions this term. Only twice in the history of the competition has any Phoenix player scored more goals in a single campaign – Roy Krishna (19) in 2018-19 and Jeremy Brockie (16) in 2012-13.
Opta stat: Melbourne City have made 144 more shots than they’ve conceded this season, the biggest positive difference of any team in the competition; Wellington Phoenix have conceded 10 more shots than they’ve made this season.
MATCH DETAILS
Melbourne City v Wellington Phoenix
Monday, April 10 2023
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 4.00pm AEST
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: City $1.45, Draw $4.25, Phoenix $6.00
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Can anyone stop the rampant Reds? Adelaide United carry an 11-match unbeaten streak into Friday night’s visit of Sydney FC to Coopers Stadium.
Adelaide have not lost since a 4-0 defeat away to Central Coast Mariners in January as they have stormed up the table to be second and five points adrift of league-leading reigning premiers Melbourne City with four rounds of the regular season remaining.
Carl Veart, who signed a three-year contract extension on Thursday, has the Reds playing free-flowing attacking football. Just look at the numbers.
Since the beginning of March, Adelaide have scored 16 goals – twice as many as any other team in the competition and four times as many as Sydney FC (four); the Reds have outperformed their Expected Goals by 6.4 in that term.
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If they record another win on Friday, it will be their 200th in the A-League Men (including penalty shoot-outs). It is a feat only two teams have managed before them, with the other two being Sydney (223) and Melbourne Victory (209).
Sydney travel to South Australia, desperately trying to keep hold of their top-six status.
The Sky Blues are winless in three matches and just a point clear of seventh-placed Perth Glory, and two ahead of Newcastle Jets and Western United.
Sydney, though, will be buoyed by the fact they have won five of their last eight A-League Men fixtures against Adelaide in South Australia (D2, L1), including their last two in a row. They have never previously won three successive games against the Reds in Adelaide.
Opta stat: Adelaide have won twelve of their last 16 A-League Men games played at Coopers Stadium (D3, L1) scoring four or more goals in each of their last three games played at the venue.
MATCH DETAILS
Adelaide United v Sydney FC
Friday, April 7 2023
Coopers Stadium
Kick-off: 5.00pm AEST
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Adelaide $2.25, Draw $3.50, Sydney $2.75
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Ballarat is the venue for the opening Good Friday fixture, as reigning champions Western United host Central Coast Mariners at Mars Stadium, where all eyes will be on the visitors and their ongoing drought.
The Mariners are third in the standings and flying high following their 4-1 mauling of Brisbane last week, but Nick Montgomery’s Central Coast are 28 league matches without a win in Victoria (D5, L23). It is a well-documented hoodoo and one Western will be looking to capitalise on.
Maximum points are vital for a Western side ninth in the table and just two points shy of sixth-placed Sydney, but they are also only three points clear of basement boys Brisbane.
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John Aloisi, however, remains confident in his finals-chasing squad.
“I believe we have got a team good enough to beat any side in this league, it doesn’t matter where they are on the table,” Aloisi said.
“We know that every game will be hard… but we believe that we can also match them.”
If they are to boost their top-six chances, they will have to improve defensively. No team has conceded more goals from outside the box this A-League Men season than Western (seven), while the Mariners have scored five goals from that range this campaign.
Western will also have to nullify the impact of Socceroo and Mariners star Jason Cummings, who has been directly involved in five goals in his three career meetings with Western – scoring three and supplying another two assists.
Opta stat: Western are undefeated in their last four A-League Men games at Mars Stadium (W2, D2); although they have not kept a clean sheet at the venue in that time.
MATCH DETAILS
Western United v Central Coast Mariners
Friday, April 7 2023
Mars Stadium
Kick-off: 3.00pm AEST
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Western $2.80, Draw $3.50, Mariners $2.25
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Western Sydney Wanderers were upstaged by Adelaide United in their blockbuster battle last time out and it has left Marko Rudan’s men trying to avoid something they have not experienced in more than a year.
Entering Saturday’s trip to Macarthur FC in Campbelltown, the fourth-placed Wanderers who are level on points with the Mariners, are facing the possibility of back-to-back losses for the first time since February 2022.
Mile Sterjovski’s Macarthur, meanwhile, are fighting desperately to qualify for the finals. The Bulls are 10th in the table but just three points behind Sydney.
Form is again Macarthur, however.
Macarthur have won only two of their last 11 games in the A-League Men (D2 L7) and
haven’t defeated a team from New South Wales since a 2-0 win over Newcastle Jets in January this year. The Wanderers, meanwhile, have won their last two games against the Bulls each by a score of 4-0 on the day after having not won any of their first five meetings in the competition (D2, L3).
One key area over the weekend could be in the penalty area.
Western Sydney have conceded just a single penalty throughout the season, fewer than any other team in the competition, while Macarthur have conceded 10 spot-kicks in 2022-23 – more than any other team in the competition.
Opta stat: Western Sydney have a shooting accuracy of 56% in the A-League Men in 2023, the
highest of any team in the competition and 11 percentage points higher than Macarthur (45%).
MATCH DETAILS
Macarthur FC v Western Sydney Wanderers
Saturday, April 8 2023
Campbelltown Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEST
Broadcast: 10 BOLD & Paramount+
Odds: Macarthur $3.30, Draw $3.50, Wanderers $1.98
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Saturday’s first game is a battle between two teams vying that coveted spot in the top six.
Brisbane Roar are rooted to the bottom of the standings but five points behind Sydney, while Newcastle Jets are eighth and within a point of the Sky Blues.
The Roar are coming off a heavy defeat away to Central Coast but Kayo Stadium provides some some welcome home comforts and promising form.
Brisbane have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three A-League Men games against the Jets in Queensland picking up two wins and one draw across that stretch.
More impressively, interim head coach Nick Green is on the cusp of share of history. Having won his first two home games as Roar boss, he could become just the second manager in the history of the club to win their opening three home fixtures after John Aloisi in 2015.
On the field, star captain Jay O’Shea is leading the charge with a goal in each of his last four games in the league. Only twice in the history of the competition has any player scored in more consecutive games for the Roar (six – Besart Berisha from January to February in 2012 and five – Jamie Maclaren from January to February in 2016).
The Jets were denied a big win by a last-gasp equaliser away to Melbourne City in Round 22, maintaining their impressive form on the road. Newcastle have lost only one of their last five A-League Men games played away from McDonald Jones Stadium, picking up one win and three draws across that stretch.
Opta stat: Newcastle Jets have scored only 19% of their 27 goals via set pieces this A-League Men season, the joint-lowest rate of any team in the competition, while no team has scored a higher proportion of their goals this season via set pieces than Brisbane Roar (50%).
MATCH DETAILS
Brisbane Roar v Newcastle Jets
Saturday, April 8 2023
Kayo Stadium
Kick-off: 5.00pm AEST
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Roar $2.10, Draw $3.40, Jets $3.20
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Melbourne Victory really are running out of time to close the gap on the top six, with Perth Glory emerging as a serious finals candidate.
Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Melbourne City in the resumption of December’s halted derby left Victory second from bottom and four points behind Sydney heading into the final four rounds.
Victory are back at AAMI Park on Easter Sunday, with form against them and their head coach Tony Popovic.
Popovic has won only three of his last 12 A-League Men games against Perth Glory, picking up three draws and six losses in that period.
Perth Glory have won three of their last four league games against Victory (L1) and have won three of their last five meetings at AAMI Park (L2).
Four points from their past two outings has the Glory – who have managed just one win from their last 20 trips outside of Western Australia – seventh and hot on the trail of the Sky Blues.
Perth have scored 18 goals in the second halves of games this season, 4.2 more than their Expected Goals in the same stanza; no team has outperformed their xG by more in that period this season.
Opta stat: Perth Glory have scored 13 headed goals this season, the most of any team in the competition and eight more than Melbourne Victory (five).
MATCH DETAILS
Melbourne Victory v Perth Glory
Sunday, April 9 2023
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 3.00pm AEST
Broadcast: 10 BOLD & Paramount+
Odds: Victory $1.85, Draw $3.50, Glory $3.80
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