Perth will play a third Liberty A-League game in the space of seven days on Saturday, but head coach Alex Epakis says there is no reason they can’t get a result against competition leaders Sydney FC.
Glory have lost to Adelaide United and drawn with Canberra United over the last week and Epakis conceded he would be forced into some rotations ahead of Saturday’s game at Kogarah Oval.
But despite the likely changes, the Perth boss argued his team had the ability to upset a Sydney side, who have conceded just one goal since their season opener against Newcastle Jets.
“I’ve told the playing group very openly that we’ve got 23 very good players,” he said.
“This is the opportunity for some of those players to step up in the next game.
“There will be some rotation, but we’ve got to do it with the right balance so that we can have a competitive team because I feel we’ve got the players to get a result against Sydney.
“Although it might be a different XI to the Canberra or Adelaide game, I still have 100 per cent confidence that the group can do what they need to do. I’ll back them to the mountains to put on a good show.”
The three games in quick succession mark a significant change for Glory, who after their win over Brisbane Roar on 10 December, had been unable to play for three weeks.
Sydney, meanwhile, have been able to keep to a fairly regimented schedule and side, but Epakis said the fresher faces had the ability to disrupt the Sky Blues’ rhythm.
“I think Sydney are in good form at the moment (because) they’ve had consistency in their squad over the last few seasons,” he said.
“A lot of that group is familiar with each other, but I still believe we’ve got a lot we can offer.
“We’re improving in each game. Now we’ve had two games to get the cobwebs out after three weeks off. I don’t think there’s any reason we shouldn’t back ourselves to get a result.
“There will be a few players who get a chance to start tomorrow and hopefully they bring an x-factor and enthusiasm that will help the group go to another level.”
