The 2015-16 A-league season continues as we have reached the semi-final stages of the competition, as the final four teams will be fighting it out to reach the Grand Final next weekend. Continue reading for our A-league semi-final Preview and Betting Tips.
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Adelaide United vs Melbourne City (Friday 7.45pm AEDT)
The Reds finished the season in first place despite having one of their worst starts to an A-league season. They were able to get the monkey off their back with their goal scoring troubles and they also had the longest undefeated streak of any team this year. They now need to get a new monkey off their back as they have struggled throughout finals matches as they have just three wins out of 17 attempts in the knock out stage of the competition.
Throughout the season City gained the advantage against the Reds as they won two of the three games, however Adelaide won the last contest 2-0 two weeks ago. You can also expect a high scoring match as throughout the last five meetings there have been 18 goals scored.
Melbourne City earned a 2-0 victory last week against Perth Glory and they were by far the better side on the night and the score line could have continued to grow if a few decisions went City’s way. The x-factor for City was clearly Bruno Fornaroli as he found his name on the scorer’s sheet on two occasions, which included a bicycle kick and a spectacular free kick. The striker will pose a big threat for the Reds this weekend along with the playmaking ability of arguably this season’s best player Aaron Mooy.
In the first meeting between these two sides in a finals series we are expecting a high scoring encounter with both teams to find the back of the net throughout the match. Manchester City are a far more potent attacking team in the competition but since finding their turning point, the Reds have been the most consistent team in the A-league and we are backing them to reach the Grand Final and advance with a victory on Friday night.
TIP: Adelaide United @ $2.00 with Sportsbet
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Brisbane Roar (Sunday 5pm AEDT)
The Roar pulled another rabbit out of the hat as their ability to pull off the almost impossible in a finals match continued. They were trailing by a goal with just minutes remaining in the contest and they managed to find the back of the net on two occasions to break the defending champions the Victory’s heart and advance through to the semi-final.
The danger man for the Wanderers will need to keep their eye on is Jamie MaClaren. The striker has scored on 18 occasions this season and five of those goals came in three games against the Wanderers. They will be well aware of his ability and they will need to keep him locked down if they are to book their ticket in the Grand Final next week.
The Wanderers have a strong record at home this season as they have won eight and drawn two of their last 12 games at Pirtek stadium. However, that form hasn’t carried over to the matches they have played against the Roar as the Brisbane side has won five of the last seven matches against the Wanderers. This will also be the first encounter in a finals match since the Roar were crowned A-league champions in the 2012-13 Grand Final.
The home side will be hoping their defence will be able to prevent the Roar from getting off to an early start and the longer they remain in the contest the more chances they will create as the Roar will continue to push forward. However, the Wanderers have been inconsistent this season and their last two matches came against poor opposition and we are expecting the Roar to be more switched on and claim victory.
TIP: Roar @ $3.60 with William Hill
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!
