Perth Glory face Adelaide United in Round 6 of the 2013-14 A-League season at nib Stadium on Saturday, November 16 at 5.30pm AEDT.
Perth Glory face Adelaide United in Round 6 of the 2013-14 A-League season at nib Stadium on Saturday, November 16 at 5.30pm AEDT.
Head-to-head:
Played: 25, Wins: Glory 8, Adelaide 12, Draws: 5
Previous encounter:
Adelaide 3-1 Perth, October 13 2013
Form:
Past five matches:
Perth: DWWDL
Adelaide: LLLDW
The Game:
How times have changed. After round one of this season, Adelaide United’s Barcelona-inspired revolution looked on track following a 3-1 win over Glory, while there were concerns Perth’s youngsters might not be up to A-League football just yet.
Fast-forward to this week and Alastair Edwards’ Perth team have not lost again to sit fourth, while the Reds have only picked up one point and have lost their past three games. While Josep Gombau continues to claim Adelaide are on the right track, a disappointing 2-1 loss at home against Newcastle last week indicates otherwise. The Reds need a 90-minute performance and some goals. The Glory return to Perth after the longest trip in the world in top-division club football and should be confident of victory at nib Stadium having won four of their past six games at home.
The big issue:
Perth – Do Glory deserve to be fourth in the A-League? Five rounds in and Perth have yet to play a team in the top five positions on the ladder. Adelaide were expected to at least push for a finals spot this season but if Edwards’ men in purple can knock over the Reds on Saturday, Perth’s credentials will receive a decent boost. Remember, Adelaide finished fourth last season and have plenty of quality in their squad – even if they are struggling with Gombau’s football philosophy.
Adelaide – Gombau’s side have had more than 60 percent possession in their past three matches but have lost all three, scoring just two goals. Up against the third-best defence in the 2013/14 A-League (Perth have conceded four goals in five games), can Adelaide become more incisive with their possession? While the likes of Isaias, Marcelo Carrusca and Sergio Cirio have shown glimpses of their ability this season, there has not been enough end product so far to break teams open.
The game breaker:
Sidnei Sciola – Before the season, Perth’s owner Tony Sage claimed the Brazilian winger would ‘set the league on fire’ and, while the mining magnate is never afraid of a big call, he seems to have summed up Sidnei perfectly. The 27-year-old Brazilian has two assists to his name this season, including setting up fellow wide attacker Ryo Nagai for the equaliser in Perth’s 1-1 draw away to Wellington last week, and has looked constantly dangerous for Glory. Sidnei’s speed and tricky dribbling could be too much for Adelaide right-back Tarek Elrich.
