Wellington Phoenix’s clash with high-flying Central Coast Mariners and Bruno Fornaroli’s Perth Glory reunion headline the action across the Isuzu UTE A-League. KEEPUP previews the fixtures ahead of Round 13, thanks to Neds.
It’s second v fourth at Sky Stadium on Sunday afternoon as Wellington Phoenix host Central Coast Mariners across the ditch.
The Phoenix have catapulted themselves up to fourth in the standings – five points behind second-placed Central Coast thanks to back-to-back wins in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Wellington have won their last two games 1-0; the last and only previous time they kept more consecutive clean sheets in the competition was a three-game stretch from January to February in 2010 of which the third game was a 3-0 win over the Mariners.
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Their current run has been fuelled by Polish import Oskar Zawada, who has scored a goal in four of his last five games – including his last two on the bounce; he’s also scored a goal in two of his last three games at Sky Stadium.
The Mariners head to New Zealand as a team in form, with three consecutive wins against Macarthur FC, Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory.
Spearheaded by Socceroo Jason Cummings and his seven goals, Central Coast have a shooting accuracy of 64% in 2023 – the highest of any team in the competition; no team has made more shots on target than the Mariners (18) in that time.
This will be the first meeting between Wellington and Central Coast since the 2-2 draw in Round 2. Though, the Mariners are unbeaten in their last three A-League Men games against the Phoenix (W2, D1), outscoring them 11-2 across that period; they had lost seven of their eight previous meetings (W1).
Opta stat: Wellington Phoenix and Central Coast Mariners have each logged 10 competition points against teams from the top half of the ladder this season, more than any other teams in the competition.
Wellington Phoenix v Central Coast Mariners
Sunday, January 22 2023
Sky Stadium
Kick-off: 1.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Phoenix $2.45, Draw $3.40, Mariners $2.55
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Round 13 gets underway at Coopers Stadium, where Adelaide United entertain Macarthur FC in South Australia on Friday night.
Adelaide’s form has been in the spotlight since the league resumed following the FIFA Men’s World Cup break in December, with just one win in six matches after last week’s 1-1 draw against Melbourne Victory in the ‘Original Rivalry‘.
The Reds are now sixth in the standings, however, they will be buoyed by their home form.
Adelaide have lost only one of their last 11 games at Coopers Stadium in the A-League
Men (W8, D2), keeping six clean sheets and conceding just five goals in total across that period.
And expect Craig Goodwin to be at the forefront of Adelaide’s attacks. The Reds captain has created 30 scoring chances this season, the joint-most of any player in the competition and is one of only three players to have made 20+shots at goal and created 20+ scoring chances this campaign (22 shots, 30 chances created).
Macarthur are a point above Adelaide in fifth position amid a split of two wins and two defeats from their past four outings. The Bulls went down to the Mariners 2-1 last week.
If Dwight Yorke’s Macarthur are to emerge victorious, they must arrest their form outside New South Wales. The Bulls are winless in their last seven ALM matches outside NSW (D2, L5), failing to score more than one goal in a single game in that span.
Opta stat: Each of the five previous A-League Men meetings between Adelaide United and Macarthur FC have been won by the home team on the day, with the Reds winning the two previous encounters in South Australia.
Adelaide United v Macarthur FC
Friday, January 20 2023
Coopers Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Adelaide $1.85, Draw $3.60, Macarthur $3.60
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Reigning champions Western United will take their home fixture against stuttering Sydney FC to Hobart on Saturday afternoon.
North Hobart Oval is the venue for Western’s meeting with Sydney in Tasmania – a long way from AAMI Park or Mars Stadium.
Second from bottom in the league, Western are coming off a 1-1 draw against Newcastle Jets, which saw Jacob Tratt sent off. John Aloisi’s side are winless in their last three appearances while they have only won one of their last six games outside Victoria (D1, L4).
When it comes to Sydney, they pressure is starting to mount on Steve Corica and his team, with just four wins to their name through 12 rounds.
The Sky Blues coughed up a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 away to Perth Glory, who equalised in the 12th minute of stoppage time. It is a result that left Sydney eighth in the standings and two points outside the top six.
Sydney are typically fast starters, scoring the first goal of the game on average during the 25th minute this season – the joint-earliest of any team. But the Sky Blues have just one win from their last five ALM fixtures outside NSW (D1, L3). They have conceded three or more goals in each of those three losses.
Opta stat: Sydney FC have won four of their last six A-League Men games against Western United (D1, L1) including their last two on the bounce, scoring three goals in each of their last two games against them.
Western United v Sydney FC
Saturday, January 21 2023
North Hobart Oval
Kick-off: 5.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Western $2.80, Draw $3.35, Sydney $2.30
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Can Melbourne City make history away to Brisbane Roar on Saturday night?
The league-leading reigning premiers have three wins on the bounce against the Roar as they prepare to visit Kayo Stadium. Neither team has ever previously won more than three consecutive iterations of this fixture.
After three successive victories, City were stopped in their tracks by Western Sydney Wanderers last time out following a 1-1 draw in sweltering conditions at CommBank Stadium.
But the high-flying leaders have won three of their last four ALM games against the Roar in Queensland (L1), as many as they had won in all their 16 such meetings prior (W3, D3, L10).
Are the wheels falling off at the Roar?
Brisbane had lost just once this season before consecutive defeats to Perth Glory and Wellington Phoenix last week.
The Roar are now on the outside of the top six looking – a point adrift but lacking form. A cause for concern is the fact Brisbane are winless in their last three matches in Queensland (D2, L1) – the last time they went longer without a win at home was a five-game stretch between February and May 2021.
Opta stat: City’s Rado Vidosic has picked up 10 competition points from his last four games as an A-League Men head coach (W3, D1), just one fewer than he managed across his 12 games as coach prior (11pts – W3, D2, L7).
Brisbane Roar v Melbourne City
Saturday, January 21 2023
Kayo Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 BOLD & Paramount+
Odds: Roar $3.90, Draw $3.35, City $1.87
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Bruno Fornaroli, back in Perth. How will that go down?
Former Glory captain Fornaroli visits Perth for the first time since his hasty departure in October, with struggling Melbourne Victory bracing for the fortress that is becoming Macedonia Park on Saturday night.
Fornaroli, who just signed a permanent deal with Victory, was Glory’s leading goalscorer in each of the past three A-League Men seasons after arriving in Western Australia ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.
He scored 13 goals in back-to-back campaigns before finding the back of the net seven times in 2021-22, but Fornaroli returns as the enemy this weekend.
Fornaroli has been directly involved in nine goals in his nine career ALM games against the Glory (seven goals, two assists); this would be the first time he’s faced them since February 2018.
Form is against bottom-placed Victory, who are in the midst of a four-match drought. Tony Popovic’s outfit have also been kept goalless in six games this season. Only once in the previous six campaigns have they failed to find the back of the net on more occasions (10 times in 2020-21).
Their opponents, meanwhile, are on the rise.
Perth are ninth and just two points outside the finals position thanks three games without defeat (W2, D1). The Glory are undefeated in their last seven ALM contests in Western Australia (W4, D3); the last time they went longer without a loss in their home state was a 10-game stretch from January to November in 2016 (W7, D3).
Opta stat: No team has scored fewer (one) or conceded more (five) goals in the 76th minute or later this A-League Men season than Perth Glory.
Perth Glory v Melbourne Victory
Saturday, January 21 2023
Macedonia Park
Kick-off: 10.30pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Glory $3.05, Draw $3.15, Victory $2.25
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Round 13 concludes with a battle between Newcastle Jets and Western Sydney Wanderers at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
And a milestone could be ticked off for the third-placed Wanderers in the Hunter Valley.
The Wanderers, who thwarted Melbourne City in a stalemate last week, are two goals shy of 400 goals scored in the Isuzu UTE A-League. However, Marko Rudan’s team have only netted two or more goals in a game just twice in their last 16 fixtures in the competition.
Western Sydney, however, have won their last two ALM clashes with Newcastle after having won only one of their 12 meetings in the competition prior (D5, L6); the last time they won more than two straight games against the Jets was a three-game streak from November 2015 to March 2016.
Consistency has been Newcastle’s biggest issue under Arthur Papas in 2022-23. The Jets have failed to win any of their past three games to be 10th in the standings.
But more encouragingly is the fact the Jets have won four of the last five meetings against the Wanderers at McDonald Jones Stadium (L1), having not won any of their eight meetings at the venue prior (D3, L5).
Opta stat: Newcastle Jets have had 59% of possession in the A-League Men throughout 2023, the best rate of any team in the competition, while no team has had a lower possession rate than Western Sydney Wanderers (42%).
Newcastle Jets v Western Sydney Wanderers
Sunday, January 22 2023
McDonald Jones Stadium
Kick-off: 3.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 BOLD & Paramount+
Odds: Jets $2.75, Draw $3.20, Wanderers $2.40
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