The 2015-16 A-league season continues this weekend and the ladder has become congested at the top of the table with the top seven teams separated by just seven points. Continue reading for our A-league Round 21 Preview and Betting Tips.
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Wellington Phoenix vs Melbourne City (Friday 5.30pm AEDT)
Melbourne City returned to winning ways last week, as they were able to overcome a poor first half to put four past the Mariners in the final half. The big win saw the side reach 50 goals for the season across just 20 matches, which is a remarkable rate. City will surely add to that this weekend as they take on the Phoenix who has conceded the second most goals in the league.
It was only a month ago when these two sides faced and it was City who came out on top 3-1 at home. It should be harder to earn the three points this time around for City as they are on the road, however with City having the best attack in the league and the Phoenix having the second worst defence, we see this one only ending in one way – with a victory for Melbourne City.
TIP: City @ $2.20 with Crownbet
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Perth Glory (Friday 7.40pm AEDT)
The Glory’s incredible resurgence continued last week with a 6-3 smashing of the Roar who were sitting on the top of the table. The win was the second time in a month the Glory have been able to notch up six goals in one match as their attack has improved drastically. The side is currently on a five game winning streak and they will put that on the line this weekend against the Wanderers who now sit on the top of the table.
The Glory have only won once on the Wanderers home turf and the Wanderers will need to use that to gain some confidence heading into this one. They have been three weeks without a win as they are going through their worst form patch since the beginning of the season. Their attack has dropped whilst they conceded five goals against the Phoenix two weeks ago. The Glory are the most in form side of the competition and they have a finals position in their sights. They are playing with a lot of spark and it would be silly to back against them whilst they continue to play at a high level.
TIP: Glory @ $5.00 with William Hill
Adelaide United vs Brisbane Roar (Saturday 5.15pm AEDT)
The Reds continued to show why no team would want to face them in the finals series this year with a 1-0 win of the defending champions the Victory. They are now undefeated since round 8 which is quite remarkable considering the side couldn’t buy a goal up until that point. The side has improved drastically on the defensive end whilst they have been able to create a lot of chances on the other end and have made the most of them.
Meanwhile the Brisbane Roar suffered another set back last week when they lost in a big way to the Glory. It seems that the top of the table is a curse for the Roar because whenever they find themselves on top they seem to lose the following week. They are in second position this week and they will need Thomas Broich to play at a high level and create chances for his teammates. He currently has the second most assists of any player this season in the league. The Roar have won eight of the last 12 meetings between these two sides but we expect that trend to snap as we are backing the in form side on home soil.
TIP: Adelaide @ $2.15 with Sportsbet
Melbourne Victory vs Sydney FC (Saturday 7.30pm AEDT)
In another instalment of the Big Blue – Sydney FC will want win their first match against Melbourne Victory in eight games and coach Graham Arnold is still searching for his first victory as Sydney FC head coach against the Melbourne Victory.
The Victory suffered a loss last week to the in form Reds outfit and they will be looking to avoid consecutive defeats on home soil for the first time since November 2005. This suggests that the side has always been able to turn things around quickly as the span is over 10 years. Meanwhile the Sky Blues have been relatively strong on the road scoring in all of their last six a-league road matches.
The Sky Blues haven’t won in their last six matches and we don’t predict them earning a victory on the road against the defending champions who are fresh off a loss on home soil. We expect their goal scoring troubles to again haunt the side whilst the Victory will make the most of their opportunities.
TIP: Victory @ $2.00 with Palmerbet
Central Coast Mariners vs Newcastle Jets (Sunday 5pm AEDT)
The Mariners again suffered another heavy loss after being the first to impact the scoreboard. It has been the same old story for them all year as they have been unable to keep a clean sheet across the first 20 matches whilst conceding a total of 49 goals.
Rivals the Jets haven’t been much better this season but their defence is a lot tighter whilst they genuinely struggle to find the back of the net. However, they were able to score three goals last week against the Phoenix. Considering they are up against the worst defence in the league it is reasonable to think they will be able to find the important goal that gives them the victory. The 14 losses next to the Mariners name makes us believe the away side will earn the three points.
TIP: Jets @ $2.60 with Sportsbet
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
