Brisbane Roar will be out to show their narrow loss to Melbourne City on Sunday was nothing but an aberration when they welcome a resurgent Western Sydney Wanderers to town on Friday night.
Robbie Fowler’s Roar lost 1-0 to City for just their second defeat in their last 10 matches.
While the Brisbane outfit remain in the top six, they have just a two-point buffer to two sides below them just outside the finals places, including the Wanderers.
While Western Sydney have not beaten Roar in any of their two clashes so far this season, they head north full of confidence after their impressive 1-0 win over Sydney FC last Friday night.
Skipper Mitch Duke has been key to their revival, scoring four times in his last three matches, with the Wanderers on a four-game unbeaten run under interim boss Jean-Paul de Marigny.
Which of these sides will be in the top six come full-time on Friday night?
Friday, 6 March 2020
Kick-off: 8.30pm (AEDT)
Venue: Suncorp Stadium
Broadcast: FOX Sports
Stream: MyFootball Live App, Kayo Sports
BEST XI: Hyundai A-League Team of the Week – Round 21
HOW TO WATCH: Every Hyundai A-League match in Round 22
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Team news
Brisbane Roar FC squad: 1.Max CROCOMBE (gk), 2.Scott NEVILLE, 3.Corey BROWN, 4.Daniel BOWLES, 5.Tom ALDRED (c), 6.Macaulay GILLESPHEY, 7.Jai INGHAM, 8.Jacob PEPPER, 10.Bradden INMAN, 12.Aiden O’NEILL, 14.George MELLS, 19.Jack HINGERT, 21.Jamie YOUNG (gk), 22.Jake MCGING, 23.Dylan WENZEL-HALLS, 25.Rahmat AKBARI, 26.Jay O’SHEA, 27.Kai TREWIN, 30.Mirza MURATOVIC, 77.Scott MCDONALD **2-4 to be omitted**
Ins: 7.Jai INGHAM (promoted), 14.George MELLS (promoted), 22.Jake MCGING (promoted), 27.Kai TREWIN (promoted)
Outs: 20.Aaron AMADI-HOLLOWAY (ankle – tbc)
Unavailable: Nil
Western Sydney Wanderers FC squad: 1. Daniel LOPAR (GK), 4.Dylan McGOWAN, 6.Matthew JURMAN, 7.Mitchell DUKE (c), 8.Jordan O’DOHERTY, 9.Nicolai MULLER, 10.Simon COX, 11.Bruce KAMAU, 13.Tass MOURDOUKOUTAS, 16.Mathieu CORDIER, 17.Keanu BACCUS, 19.Pirmin SCHWEGLER, 22.Nicholas SULLIVAN, 23.Kosta GROZOS, 31.Noah PAGDEN, 33.Tate RUSSELL, 34.Patrick ZIEGLER, 35.Mohamed ADAM, 36.Jarrod CARLUCCIO, 40.Nicholas SUMAN (GK) **2-4 to be omitted**
Ins: 16.Mathieu CORDIER (promoted), 17.Keanu BACCUS (returns from injury), 31.Noah PAGDEN (promoted), 36.Jarrod CARLUCCIO (promoted)
Outs: 5.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI (suspended – 2 weeks), 62.Ali AUGLAH (not selected)
Unavailable: 20.Vedran JANJETOVIC (shoulder), 29.Daniel WILMERING (knee), Radoslaw MAJEWSKI (knee)
Did you know?
- Brisbane Roar defeated Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 in their most recent Hyundai A-League meeting, ending a six-match winless run against them (D3, L3).
- The Wanderers are undefeated in their last four Hyundai A-League matches (W3, D1), they haven’t embarked on a longer unbeaten run since a six-match span to begin the 2017/18 campaign (W1, D5).
- Roar have averaged 217 successful passes per game in the opposition half this Hyundai A-League season, the most of any side while only the Central Coast Mariners (157.7) have averaged fewer than Western Sydney Wanderers FC (158.3).
- Wanderers’ trio Keanu Baccus (40), Pirmin Schwegler (39) and Matthew Jurman (38) have made more interceptions than any other players so far this Hyundai A-League campaign.