Adelaide will be keen to stamp their title credentials with a win over a team that has had the wood over them in recent games.
Date: Sunday November 11, 2012
Kick-off: 4:30pm CST, 5.00pm AEDT
Venue: Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
Head-to-head
Played: 29, Wins: Adelaide United 11, Perth Glory 11, Draws: 7
Previous encounter
Adelaide United 0 Perth Glory 2, March 1 2012
Form:
Past five matches:
Adelaide United: WLWLW
Perth Glory: WWLWW
The Game
Sunday’s A-League match at Hindmarsh Stadium pits leaders Adelaide against the third-placed Glory, and both teams have been enjoying some sterling form early in the campaign.
Ian Ferguson’s Glory emerged victorious from their clash with Newcastle at nib Stadium in Perth on Saturday when an 85th-minute Chris Harold strike gave them a 3-2 victory, and Adelaide are coming off a gritty 1-0 win at reigning champions Brisbane Roar.
Perth will have no fear of John Kosmina’s side, however, having won their past four meetings against the Reds. Travel won’t bother Ferguson’s men either – their last two wins over Adelaide have come at Hindmarsh Stadium by scores of 2-0 and 3-0.
Adelaide, with four wins from their opening five matches of the season, will be keen to stamp their title credentials with a win over a team which has had the wood over them in recent games.
The big issue
Adelaide United: How long can Eugene Galekovic keep sparing Adelaide’s blushes? United have conceded just three goals so far this term, and the big-shot stopper is a massive reason why. The 31-year-old has been at his acrobatic best throughout the first five games of the season, never more so than in their weekend triumph in Brisbane.
Ably supported by Nigel Boogaard, Cassio and Iain Fyfe at the back – he has been a major factor in Adelaide’s early-season success.
Perth Glory: The Glory have looked like one of the more polished performers so far in the 2012/13 season, and they were able to eke out a win against Newcastle on Saturday even without the presence of inspirational skipper Jacob Burns. Burns is battling a quad injury and will miss the difficult trip to South Australia.
Gamebreaker
Jeronimo Neumann has been a breath of fresh air so far this season, and has delighted the United faithful with his flair and inventiveness in attack. He has scored four goals so far for the Reds, and looks a danger every time he gets the ball. How the Glory back four deal with the Argentine’s incisive runs and vision will go a long way toward deciding the outcome of this game.
Prediction
Adelaide 2-1 Perth: Adelaide’s position on top of the A-League standings is no accident, and Kosmina has been able to parlay their strong run in the AFC Champions League into some outstanding domestic form.
Having claimed the scalps of Newcastle, Western Sydney, Wellington and Brisbane already this season, they should feel confident against Ferguson’s side and will be looking to make it win number five on Sunday afternoon.
