Sydney FC will look for back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they welcome high-flying Central Coast Mariners to town, while Morgan Schneiderlin is set to make his highly-anticipated Western Sydney Wanderers debut. KEEPUP previews the fixtures ahead of Round 15, thanks to Neds.
Can the Sky Blues do what they haven’t done all season?
Steve Corica’s Sydney FC welcome one of the hottest teams in the Isuzu UTE A-League to the Allianz Stadium on Saturday evening, as they look for consecutive wins for the first time all season (haven’t done so since March 2022).
The message was clear from captain Alex Wilkinson after their 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory last week, telling KEEPUP they need to back this up in the weeks to follow.
“We haven’t been consistent enough this year,” he said. “We’ll play well one game and then we won’t get a result for a couple of weeks and like I said before the table is so tight, you have got to get on a run of consistency and that’s something we’ve got to do better.”
Sydney bolstered their defensive stocks during the week, with Socceroo Joel King returning to the club on loan from Danish side Odense (OB). Sydney fans, however, will have to wait another week to welcome him home as he hasn’t been named in the squad.
Meanwhile, the Mariners are looking to get back on the winners list after an enthralling 2-2 draw with Western Sydney Wanderers last weekend.
The Mariners retained second place on the ladder, as a result, but will be looking for another win against the Sky Blues having knocked them off already in December.
Central Coast welcomed former Western United and Brisbane Roar striker Dylan Wenzel-Halls to the side this week – adding another spoke to their already deadly attack – and is in line to make his club debut.
Opta Stat: Sydney FC’s next goal in the Isuzu UTE A-League will be their 750th in the competition; among all teams only Melbourne Victory (753) have scored more goals in the history of the competition.
Sydney FC v Central Coast Mariners
Saturday, February 4 2023
Allianz Stadium
Kick-off: 5pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Sydney $1.98, Draw $3.50, Mariners $3.30
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Melbourne City will look to end a run of three straight games without a win, when they host Macarthur FC at AAMI Park on Saturday evening.
While not disastrous, the reigning premiers have been on a bit of a semi-rough patch as of late, drawing their last three games – but have retained top spot on the table and still sit five points clear of the second-placed Mariners.
Rado Vidosic’s City battled back manfully from two-goals down on the weekend against Adelaide United and will feel confident going into the contest knowing they are still yet to lose against the Bulls in five meetings.
Macarthur, on the other hand, will be looking to not only end their baron run against City but also give Mile Sterjovski his first win in charge as head coach.
The former Socceroo’s first game at the helm ended in a 2-2 draw against Western United, where his side battled back from a goal down with 10 men to take the lead late – but were forced to settle for a point when Nicolas Milanovic fired home an equaliser at the death.
Gun winger Daniel Arzani is set to miss after picking up a hamstring injury over the weekend, while Kearyn Baccus will be absent after being sent off.
Opta Stat: Melbourne City have drawn their last three straight games in the Isuzu UTE A-League and a fourth consecutive draw would equal their most stalemates in a row in the competition (D4 – March 2012).
Melbourne City v Macarthur
Saturday, February 4 2023
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 5pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: City $1.40, Draw $4.40, Macarthur $6.60
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Is this the weekend Melbourne Victory get back to winning ways?
It’s been almost two months since Tony Popovic’s side last took home all three points in an Isuzu UTE A-League contest, as their winless run stretched to six straight games against Sydney FC last Thursday.
But the job won’t be easy for Victory, coming up against the red-hot Wellington Phoenix – who are unbeaten in their last games and have slowly surged up the table to fourth.
Victory welcomed new loan-signing Bruce Kamau in midweek and he’s expected to be in the squad for Friday night’s contest, but they’re still without Rai Marchan, Paul Izzo and Chris Ikonomidis.
Wellington could have very well been coming in off four successive wins instead of three wins and a tie, after surrendering a two-goal lead at home to Perth Glory last weekend.
Tim Payne, who was dubiously sent-off, will miss, adding another defensive headache for coach Ufuk Talay who is already without English centre-back Scott Wootton.
Despite Wellington’s solid form and Victory’s cold streak, the Phoenix haven’t beaten Melbourne on the road since April 2017 – a game they won 3-0 thanks to a Roly Bonevacia double and Shane Smeltz strike.
Opta stat: Melbourne Victory will be looking to win back-to-back games against Wellington Phoenix in the Isuzu UTE A-League for the first time since October 2016 after picking up a 3-1 win when they last met (April 2022); in fact, Victory are unbeaten in their last eight games against Phoenix in Victoria (W4, D4).
Melbourne Victory v Wellington Phoenix
Friday, February 3 2023
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 7:45pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Victory $2.10, Draw $3.35, Phoenix $3.20
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Get ready, folks. Morgan Schneiderlin is here.
The former Manchester United and France midfielder is poised to make his Wanderers debut, when Western Sydney welcome reigning champions Western United to town on Sunday afternoon.
Schneiderlin joined the Wanderers from Ligue 1 side Nice on loan and despite not playing a senior game since last season, the 33-year-old midfielder has been thrusted into the squad – with coach Marko Rudan even suggesting last week that he could start.
In a further boost, Kusini Yengi has also been named in the squad as the Wanderers hope to have the gun attacker available for the first time since January 6.
Western Sydney are third in the standings, but have only won of their last eight since the Isuzu UTE A-League resumed following the FIFA Men’s World Cup break – with one of those losses coming against Western in December.
Should the Wanderers win, it’ll also be the first time Rudan has beaten his former side since taking over at Western Sydney – having lost the opening three meetings.
Western conversely, have been in better form since the resumption, but find themselves stuck in second-last on the table.
John Aloisi’s squad came away with a point against Macarthur last weekend, but squandered a great opportunity to take home all three after surrendering a lead against the 10-man Bulls.
Aleksandar Prijovic has been named in the squad after missing the last two games due to injury and his form against the Wanderers is nothing short of impressive – scoring three goals in three games against Western Sydney.
Opta stat: Western United are winless in their last six Isuzu UTE A-League games in New South Wales (D3, L3); however, their most recent win in the state came in their last game at CommBank Stadium (February 2022).
Western Sydney Wanderers v Western United
Sunday, February 5 2023
Commbank Stadium
Kick-off: 3pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 Bold & Paramount+
Odds: Wanderers $2.10, Draw $3.20, United $3.30
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Will the streak continue?
Perth Glory quite simply can’t lose at Macedonia Park and Newcastle Jets will be looking to reverse the trend when they travel across the Nullarbor this weekend.
The Glory are unbeaten in six games at their home away from home and carried their solid form across the ditch when they battled back to secure a point on the road to Wellington last weekend.
Their home form, however, has helped them surge up the table, going from bottom only a matter of weeks ago to now only goal difference outside of the top six.
Socceroos striker Adam Taggart is set to return after sitting out last week and will be looking to pick up where he left off last time out – scoring a double on his Glory return almost a fortnight ago.
Newcastle, on the other hand, are back in business after coming away with a 4-0 win over Brisbane Roar last Friday night.
The ‘Box Office Jets’ looked to be back to their brilliant best as they romped their way past the Roar with an excellent second-half showing.
New Japanese signing Manabu Saito could also make his Jets debut after he was named in the squad by Arthur Papas – as they look to make it two wins from two against the Glory this season.
Opta stat: Perth Glory have picked up competition points in each of their last five games in the Isuzu UTE A-League (W3, D2) as many times as they had done so in their 17 games prior (W3, D2 L12).
Perth Glory v Newcastle Jets
Saturday, February 4 2023
Macedonia Park
Kick-off: 10:30pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Perth $2.30, Draw $3.10, Jets $3.00
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Adelaide United welcome Brisbane Roar to the ‘City of Churches’ on Saturday evening, with both teams looking to scale up the table with an all-important three points.
The Reds twice gave up a two-goal advantage in their 3-3 draw with City last weekend, missing the chance to go as high as third on the ladder with a win.
They will be without both Juande and George Blackwood who both suffered injuries in the draw – with the former rubbed out for the rest of the season after a horrific leg break.
Brisbane, on the other hand, will be looking to arrest their mini slide of late, backing up their eight-game unbeaten run with a streak of four straight games without a win.
Warren Moon’s Roar was battered from pillar to post in the second-half of their 4-0 loss to Newcastle last weekend, a rarity given how strong their defence had been up until that point (conceding 10 goals in 13 games prior to Friday night).
They will welcome new signing Taras Gomulka into the squad after he made the move from City during the week.
Opta stat: Adelaide United have lost only one of their last 12 Isuzu UTE A-League games played at Coopers Stadium (W9 D2), keeping seven clean sheets and conceding just five goals in that span.
Adelaide United v Brisbane Roar
Saturday, February 4 2023
Coopers Stadium
Kick-off: 7:45pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 Bold & Paramount+
Odds: Adelaide $2.02, Draw $3.25, Brisbane $3.45
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