Central Coast Mariners’ meeting with Western Sydney Wanderers and Mile Sterjovski’s first game in charge of Macarthur FC headline the action across the Isuzu UTE A-League. KEEPUP previews the fixtures ahead of Round 14, thanks to Neds.
Could we see history made by Central Coast Mariners on Saturday night?
The second-placed Mariners host third-placed Western Sydney in Gosford, looking to celebrate back-to-back Isuzu UTE A-League wins against the Wanderers for the first time ever after their resounding 3-0 victory at CommBank Stadium in November.
Central Coast’s three-game winning streak was snapped by Wellington Phoenix in the absence of Jason Cummings last week, but the Mariners are still riding a four-match victorious run at Industree Group Stadium. The last time they won more in succession in the A-League Men was a five-game streak from March to October 2014.
Western Sydney head to the coast just two points adrift of the Mariners, but with just one win in their past seven outings since the FIFA Men’s World Cup break.
Marko Rudan’s Wanderers, however, have lost only one of their last eight A-League Men games against New South Wales opponents (W4, D3) following last week’s draw against Newcastle Jets, keeping two clean sheets in their last three such fixtures.
Opta stat: Central Coast Mariners (two) are one of only two teams to have won multiple games after having conceded the opening goal of the game on the day this season (Sydney FC – two).
Central Coast Mariners v Western Sydney Wanderers
Saturday, January 28 2023
Industree Group Stadium
Kick-off: 7:45pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 BOLD & Paramount+
Odds: Mariners $1.95, Draw $3.40, Wanderers $3.50
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It is a new era for Macarthur FC, who welcome defending champions Western United to Campbelltown with a new head coach on the sidelines.
Former Socceroo Mile Sterjovski has been appointed Dwight Yorke’s replacement after the Bulls parted with the Manchester United great last week.
Sterjovski’s first test at the helm is the visit of the titleholders on Saturday evening, and he will be out to address Macarthur’s inconsistent form – the Bulls have won only one of their past four matches after last week’s defeat to Adelaide United.
Macarthur – sixth in the standings on goal difference – have only claimed three wins from their past nine fixtures on home soil at Campbelltown Stadium (D1 L5), though they have kept a clean sheet in each of those victories.
Buoyed by Alessandro Diamanti’s memorable golazo against Sydney FC, Western are steadily rising up the standings amid a run of just one defeat from six matches.
Each of Western’s last three wins have been by a score of 1-0; in fact, they’ve won 16 games by a 1-0 score since joining the competition in 2019-20 – seven more than any other team in the competition.
Opta stat: Macarthur (44%) and Western United (48%) have the second and third-lowest rates of possession of any teams in the 2022-23 season.
Macarthur FC v Western United
Saturday, January 28 2023
Campbelltown Stadium
Kick-off: 5.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Macarthur $2.30, Draw $3.35, Western $2.80
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Round 14 gets underway in the Hunter, where Newcastle Jets welcome Brisbane Roar to McDonald Jones Stadium.
Newcastle have been plagued by inconsistency this season. The 11th-placed Jets are winless in their last four games following their stalemate against the Wanderers – the last time they went longer without a win in the competition was a 14-game stretch from February to May in 2021 (D3, L11).
Arthur Papas, though, has bolstered his squad with the signing of former Japan international and two-time J1 League champion Manabu Saito.
If the Jets are to snap their winless drought, they need Beka Mikeltadze among the goals. The Georgian star has not scored a goal in any of his last seven games, his longest streak without a goal in his career in the A-League Men.
Brisbane make the trip to Newcastle on the back of a goalless draw at home to reigning premiers and league leaders Melbourne City.
The Roar, however, have not won any of their past three matches to drop down to eighth in the standings.
Brisbane have won five of their last seven A-League Men games against Newcastle (D1, L1) including their last two on the bounce; the last time they won more in succession
against the Jets was a three-game streak from November 2014 to April 2015.
Opta stat: Brisbane Roar have conceded 30 fewer fouls than they’ve won this season, the biggest difference in favour of any team this season; Newcastle Jets (23) have the second biggest difference in their favour.
Newcastle Jets v Brisbane Roar
Friday, January 27 2023
McDonald Jones Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Jets $2.70, Draw $3.15, Roar $2.50
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Red-hot Wellington Phoenix are at home to resurgent Perth Glory, but Sky Stadium is not the venue for Saturday’s afternoon clash.
Palmerston North’s Central Energy Trust Arena will stage the fixture. It will be Wellington’s second A-League Men game at the venue and their first since a 1-0 loss to Sydney FC in December 2009.
The Phoenix have won three straight matches to be fourth in the standings and only adrift of the Wanderers on goal difference, while they are seven points behind Melbourne City.
Wellington – fuelled by Oskar Zawada’s six goals this season – are unbeaten in their last six league games against Perth (W4, D2); the last time they lost to the Glory in the competition was in August 2020 (1-0).
Perth have won only one of their last five A-League Men games against the Phoenix in New Zealand (D3, L2); they’ve neither kept nor conceded a clean sheet in that period.
But Ruben Zadkovich’s new-look Glory are seventh and climbing amid a four-game unbeaten streak in the A-League Men, having outclassed Melbourne Victory last time out behind Adam Taggart’s brace.
Only Victory (0) have dropped fewer points from winning positions than Perth (two) this campaign; no team has dropped more than Wellington (12).
Opta stat: Wellington Phoenix have scored the opening goal of the game on 10 occasions this season, more times than any other team in the competition and twice as many times as Perth Glory (five).
Wellington Phoenix v Perth Glory
Saturday, January 28 2023
Central Energy Trust Arena
Kick-off: 1.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Phoenix $1.75, Draw $3.50, Glory $4.25
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Fans at AAMI Park could witness a five-year first when Melbourne City entertain Adelaide United on Sunday afternoon.
City will be out to secure back-to-back A-League Men wins against Adelaide for the first time since January 2018 after picking up a 2-1 extra time win in their most recent encounter (22 May 2022).
League-leading City enjoy playing at AAMI Park, too. Spearheaded by Golden Boot leader Jamie Maclaren, City have won their last three straight completed A-League Men games at the venue; the last time they won more in succession at the venue was a four-game streak from April to May in 2021.
Adelaide – plagued by four red cards this season and suspensions – enter the contest fifth in the table thanks to their win against Macarthur.
However, the Reds have lost their last two A-League Men games outside their home state of South Australia, conceding seven goals in that term. The last time they lost more successive games outside the state was a three-game stretch from April to May in 2021.
Adelaide have also won only one of their last nine league matches against City at AAMI Park (D2, L6); although that win came in their most recent-regular season clash at the venue (2-1, 15 February 2022).
Opta stat: Jamie Maclaren has not scored a goal in his last two A-League Men games; the last time he failed to score in more consecutive games within a single season was a three-game stretch from February to March in 2020.
Melbourne City v Adelaide United
Sunday, January 29 2023
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 3.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 BOLD & Paramount+
Odds: City $1.52, Draw $4.00, Adelaide $5.40
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