Midfield livewire Awer Mabil expects the Reds to feel the full force of Wellington as the Kiwi side go in search of redemption at Westpac Stadium on Sunday.
Adelaide teen Awer Mabil couldn’t help but wince with every goal Newcastle scored against Wellington last weekend, knowing how embarrassed and hurt the Phoenix players would have been after the 5-0 drubbing.
And he expects the Reds to feel the full force as the Kiwi side go in search of redemption at Westpac Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Phoenix’s final hopes may be hanging by a thread but Mabil knows they won’t give his side an easy ride, despite Adelaide prevailing 5-1 when the two clubs met just last month.
“Wellington is a good team and we know it’s not a good place to go to try and get a result,” Mabil told footballaustralia.com.au.
“It’s always hard playing against a team that has lost the week before but they will be extra motivated after the way they lost. You always want to bounce back and redeem yourselves and they will want it more than anyone.
“It’s going to be a tough game, they have been playing good at home but we need to get a win to stay in the (top six) so we’re going there for a result.”
Adelaide moved up to fifth after last weekend’s 3-1 win over Sydney but still need a couple more victories over the last three rounds to secure their finals berth.
And Mabil is confident no matter where the finish in the top six, the free-scoring Reds will fear no team when it comes to sudden-death football.
“We’ve got an unbelievable squad with some amazing players and with the system the coach is playing I think if we get into the finals we can really hurt teams,” the 18-year-old said.
“It’s just a matter of doing what we need to do now to get there and going into the finals in good form. We have scored the most goals (in the A-League) so we have plenty of confidence…we can beat anyone.”
After getting a small taste of the A-League last season, Mabil has made 17 appearances this campaign and made a significant impact in a side chock-full of attacking talent.
Asked how he has found the step-up to the A-League this season, Mabil said: “It’s been tough. Obviously I’m playing with older guys now and it’s more physical and mental as well.
“You have to be strong. A lot of people have ability but you have to also play the game with your brain and be smart about it.
“You need to be strong mentally because there’s a lot of people that will try to bring you down but you have to keep adapting. Josep (Gombau) has been great and given me the confidence to just go out and play my game.”