The Hyundai A-League leaders have made a habit of shattering records during their sensational 2018/19 Season so far.
And Tony Popovic’s men are on the verge of equalling another club record when they take on Brisbane Roar at HBF Park on Saturday night.
Glory are unbeaten in their last nine games in the Hyundai A-League, with seven wins and two draws in this current run.
Only once before has the club gone longer without defeat which was a 10-game period back in the 2014/15 campaign, meaning if they can get a result at home against the lowly Roar, it will be more history for this squad.
And you would have them as clear favourites considering Roar haven’t won any of their last 11 games away from home in the Hyundai A-League.
Interestingly though, Roar’s last victory on the road was in Perth in the final round of last season, a victory which booked Brisbane’s spot in the top six.
While the likes of Castro, Keogh and Ikonomidis have generated plenty of headlines for Glory, midfielder Neil Kilkenny has arguably been their most influential player.
The veteran midfielder actually has the highest shooting accuracy (for players who have had at least five shots) this season, at a staggering 89%.
It’s part of a Glory team that has the best shooting accuracy in the competition with 55%, 12 percentage points higher than the Roar.
Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar, Saturday 10pm (AEDT)
PREVIEW: Glory v Roar
WATCH FOR FREE: How to watch the Hyundai A-League LIVE and FREE
HOW TO WATCH: All five games in Round 19 of the Hyundai A-League
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5986458430001
Brosque likely to torment the Mariners yet again
It’s a fair bet Sydney FC skipper Alex Brosque has a spring in his step as his side gets ready to take on Central Coast Mariners at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.
Brosque has scored an incredible 13 goals against the side from Gosford, including a hat-trick in the most recent one earlier this season.
It’s helped the Sky Blues build a formidable record against the Mariners, suffering just one defeat against their NSW rivals in the last 14 meetings.
And it’s the home games where Sydney FC have been especially impressive, unbeaten in the last seven and scoring four or more goals in four of those clashes.
While the Mariners have actually led at the break in three of their last five games on the road, Mike Mulvey’s men have gone on to lose all those matches.
In fact, it’s been well over a year since Central Coast last won away from home, coming back in Round 8 of last season.
If they are to pull off an upset, you would expect they’ll need to do most of the damage in the first half, with 72% (13 of 18) of their goals this season coming in the first 45 minutes of matches.
Sydney FC v Central Coast Mariners, Sunday 5pm (AEDT)
PREVIEW: Sydney FC v Mariners
PLAYER PROFILE: Sky Blues’ Reza on facing Messi, scoring at a World Cup and moving to the Hyundai A-League
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5985914721001
City’s happy hunting ground in the Hunter
Melbourne City fans who travel to McDonald Jones Stadium to see their side’s clash with Newcastle Jets will rightly feel confident of seeing a victory.
In City’s last six visits to the Hunter, they have won on four occasions and scored an average of three goals per game.
While it’s a good record to have, the Jets have been strong in front of their home fans of late, unbeaten in their last three at McDonald Jones.
Scoring goals have proved an issue for City in their recent road trips, failing to find the net in four of their last seven games away from AAMI Park.
The last goal Warren Joyce’s troops scored on their travels came three matches ago in a 2-1 loss to the Mariners back on January 16.
If they are to break that mini-drought, it’s fair to assume either Ritchie De Laet or Luke Brattan will be involved in the goal.
One of the duo has been directly involved in seven of City’s last 10 goals, with De Laet scoring four goals while Brattan has scored two and has one assist.
Don’t rule out goals from distance in this one either. No team has conceded more from outside the box than the Jets’ five this campaign, while no club has scored more than City’s seven from long range.
Newcastle Jets v Melbourne City, Friday 7.50pm (AEDT)
PREVIEW: Jets v City
JETS ALIVE: Boogaard delivers to keep Newcastle’s in the hunt for the ACL
Hamill leading from front for struggling Wanderers defence
There hasn’t been a lot to get excited about with the defensive side of Western Sydney’s game this season, with only Central Coast Mariners (42) conceding more goals than the Wanderers’ 40.
But skipper Brendan Hamill has done all he can to improve their fortunes at the back. Hamill leads the way in the entire Hyundai A-League when it comes to blocked shots (19) and clearances (103) this season.
A major reason for the Wanderers’ struggles this campaign has been their inability to turn promising moments into goals.
PREVIEW: Reds v Wanderers
Markus Babbel’s side averages more touches per game (28) in the opposition box than any other club in the competition.
While the Wanderers are searching for back-to-back wins for the first time in 12 months, they face an Adelaide United team they haven’t been able to beat in the last seven meetings between the two clubs.
The Reds – undefeated in their last five games – are also on their longest unbeaten run since they went seven without a loss on their way to the 2016 Championship.
Adelaide United v Western Sydney Wanderers, Saturday 7.50pm (AEDT)
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5990941534001
Phoenix’s Garden of Eden in Auckland
The Hyundai A-League heads to Auckland for the opening game of Round 19 as Wellington Phoenix take on Melbourne Victory at Eden Park.
It will be the fourth Hyundai A-League fixture at the venue, where the Phoenix have yet to lose having won two and drawn one of their three previous games there. Although the Kiwi club haven’t played at Eden Park since December 2014.
PREVIEW: Phoenix v Victory
Victory have enjoyed a pretty strong record on the road this season, winning eight of their last 10 away games.
If Kevin Muscat’s side are to continue that hot streak, they’ll need to shut down Wellington striker Roy Krishna.
The flying Fijian has made a league-high 18 touches in the opposition box this season, while only Sydney FC’s Adam Le Fondre (11) has scored more goals from inside the box than Krishna (10).
Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne Victory, Friday 5.35pm (AEDT)
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5991567348001
