The 2015-16 A-league regular season has concluded which means we have reached the knock out stage of the competition with the finals series. Continue reading for our A-league Elimination Finals Preview and Betting Tips.
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Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne Victory (Friday 7.35pm AEDT)
These two teams played out a 0-0 draw last weekend as the Victory was able to prevent the Roar from lifting the premiers plate as they needed the full three points to claim top spot. The Victory head into this match on the back of an undefeated streak of four matches, which includes two victories. However, the side won’t be entirely confident after they were dismantled on their last trip to Suncorp stadium. The Roar came out on top in that match 5-0 and it was one of the most embarrassing matches the Victory have involved in.
The Roar has the best home record of the competition this season and it is a massive advantage for them to be playing on their own soil. They are currently on four game win streak at home.
However, Melbourne Victory are the defending champions and they won’t want to give up their title easily. Last week they showed they have the capabilities to defend against the Roar, although the Brisbane side should have capitalised on the opportunities they were creating. You can expect the match to be a lot more free flowing this weekend as both sides will be looking to push forward and earn an advantage on the score line.
In a massive boost for the Victory’s chances, striker Besart Berisha was able to reduce his suspension from two matches to one, which will allow him to take the field this weekend. Berisha has already won three championships – one with the Victory last season whilst he won two with his opponent on Friday night the Roar. The Albanian always seems to produce his best football in the biggest matches of the year and we dare say he will have an impact in this one and find his name on the scorers sheet. However, his opposite striker Jamie MaClaren has had a sensational first season for the Roar and has 18 goals to his name and we think he will be just as important in this one. We see this match being level at the end of 90-minutes with the Roar eventually progressing in extra time or by penalties.
TIP: Draw @ $3.60 with Ladbrokes
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory (Sunday 5pm AEDT)
This will be a rematch of the clash from two weeks ago that saw the Glory come out victorious, however this time around City will have the advantage of playing on their home soil. In that contest it was an entertaining match with five goals being scored in the 90-minutes. We are expecting the match to be another high scoring one with the two best attacking teams going against each other. City was by far the best team at pushing forward throughout the entire season as they tallied 63 goals, which was 14-more than the next best team. City will head into this match on the back of two losses as they were outclassed last weekend by Adelaide United. You can expect the side to lift to another level this weekend with the side looking to avoid three straight losses and an early elimination.
Interesting, the Glory is the only team in the A-league to have scored at least one goal in each of their finals appearances. That suggests the side will be able to at least find the back of the net once. However, the Glory will need to ensure they are switched on defensively with City having the best attack in the league we are backing them to find the back of the net on more than one occasion with Aaron Mooy taking his play to another level in this one as the best players find a way to rise in the big matches and Bruno Fornaroli will add to his 23-goals for the season whilst the Glory’s leading scorer Diego Castro could be carrying an injury into the match.
TIP: City @ $2.10 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!
