The Sky Blues are on another planet right now, but if anyone can come up with a plan to blunt them and steal a win, it’s wily Kenny Lowe and his Perth Glory.
Sunday, 13 November 2016
Sydney FC v Perth Glory
Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Kick-Off: 5:00PM (Local) (5:00PM (AEDT))
Referee: Peter Green
Assistant Referee 1: Scott Edeling
Assistant Referee 2: Kearney Robinson
Fourth Official: Kurt Ams
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on Fox Sports 505 from 4.30pm (AEDT) and Sky Sport 4 (New Zealand)
Radio Broadcast: Online and via the ABC Radio Phone App, EON Sports Radio (eonsportsradio.com)
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash-tag #SYDvPER
To purchase tickets visit www.aleague.com.au
Sydney FC squad: 1.Vedran JANJETOVIC (gk), 4.Alex WILKINSON, 5.Matt JURMAN, 6.Joshua BRILLANTE, 7.Michael ZULLO, 8.Milos DIMITRIJEVIC, 9.BOBÔ, 10.Milos NINKOVIC, 11.Bernie IBINI, 13.Brandon O’NEILL, 14.Alex BROSQUE (c), 17.David CARNEY, 18.Matt SIMON, 19.George BLACKWOOD, 20.Danny VUKOVIC (gk), 21.Filip HOLOSKO, 22.Sebastian RYALL, 23.Rhyan GRANT
**two to be omitted**
Ins: 11.Bernie IBINI (promoted), 19.George BLACKWOOD (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: Nil
Perth Glory squad: 2.Alex GRANT, 3.Marc WARREN, 4.Shane LOWRY, 5.Rhys WILLIAMS, 6.Dino DJULBIC, 7.Joel CHIANESE, 8.Rostyn GRIFFITHS (c), 9.Andy KEOGH, 10.Nebojsa MARINKOVIC, 13.Nicholas FEELY (gk), 14.Chris HAROLD, 16.Joe MILLS, 17.Diego CASTRO, 18.Mitch OXBORROW, 20.Aryn WILLIAMS, 23.Kosta PETRATOS, 24.Milan SMILJANIC, 33.Liam REDDY (gk)
Ins: 3.Marc WARREN (promoted), 4.Shane LOWRY (promoted), 18.Mitch OXBORROW (promoted), 20.Aryn WILLIAMS (promoted)
Outs: 15.Brandon WILSON (quad – 1 week), 19.Josh RISDON (international duty – 1 week)
Unavailable: 22.Adam TAGGART (calf – 1 week)
BLUFFER’S GUIDE
We might be only in November but this clash already has a finals feel to it.
Sydney FC have a 100% record this season after their come-from-behind Big Blue win last weekend.
They look menacing and invincible right now under Graham Arnold.
While Glory are the competition’s equal second highest scorers (two behind the Sky Blues) they are the kind of side that thrives on being the underdog in a street fight between the West and East Coast.
With Lowe back on the bench after serving his touchline ban, there’ll be plenty of theatrics on the sidelines, too.
Expect a well-oiled, disciplined and physical approach from the visitors, who will seek to contain Sydney’s rampant attack and hit on the counter.
Broadly speaking, it’s a tactic that worked against Melbourne City a few weeks ago, though it has been noted that City struggle to adapt their game plan in such situations.
But the Sky Blues on the other hand have handled everything that has been thrown at them over the first five weeks.
The way they kept their composure to come back and beat Victory last weekend shows there’s a lot of character and experience in their change-room.
Arnold is unlikely to make any changes to his starting side for Sunday, although super-sub David Carney has put his hand up to come into the 11, while Glory needs to find a replacement at right-back for Josh Risdon, who is on Caltex Socceroos duty.
OPTA DATA
Your Hyundai A-League stats for Round 6
ROUTE TO GOAL
Will we see Glory take the same approach they did in the away win over City last month where they denied the hosts space and then hit with swift and incisive counter attacks.
It worked a treat against City’s take-no-prisoners attacking ethos but there’s a bit more subtlety to the Sky Blues approach.
So expect something similar from Glory, with a slight tweak.
That said, it will be important for Marinkovic and Castro to get on the ball as much as possible. They can win games on moments.
Sydney defender Michael Zullo will have his hands full dealing with the speed of Harold, while the match-up between Andy Keogh and Sky Blues defenders Alex Wilkinson and Matt Jurman will be mega.
For the home side, where do you start? When things weren’t working for the likes of Bobo, Brosque and Holosko last week, on comes Carney to turn the match.
There is so much variety to Sydney’s game it makes it hard for opposition sides to get a read on how to nullify them.
It all makes for fascinating viewing at Allianz, which should see a big Sunday afternoon crowd for this one.
WHO’S BEEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT THIS WEEK?
Brandon O’Neill. Many Glory fans are still scratching their heads how they let the WA product leave for the Sky Blues a little over a year ago. The media- friendly midfielder – the NAB Young Footballer of the Year nominee for October – is in superb form and would love nothing more than to get one over his former club.
NAB winner Brandon O’Neill’s inspiring story
FORM LINES (last five games)
Sydney FC: WWWWW
Glory: DWWLD
PREDICTION
Sydney FC 2-1 Perth Glory
