The 2016-17 A-league season continues this weekend and there will be a lot of interesting match ups after a weekend of dominance from a couple of teams. Continue reading for our Round 3 A-league Preview and Betting Tips.
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory (Friday 7.50pm AEST)
We can’t start off a preview of Melbourne City without mentioning the cracking goal that was scored by Tim Cahill. You couldn’t write a better script to start off his career in the Australian domestic league and he has already proven to be worth every dollar as he put the A-league on the world map as his goal was shared across the globe.
City didn’t stop there though as they impressed in a dominant victory against crosstown rivals Melbourne Victory. The 4-1 victory was capped off by four players finding their names on the scorers sheet as the side never looked like losing and proved they have one of the best attacks in the league.
Perth Glory bounced back from a disappointing second half against the Mariners last week to earn a convincing 2-0 victory against the Phoenix on home soil. It was an even first half but it wasn’t long into the second period that Diego Castro converted from the penalty spot.
The Phoenix will put up a good fight against City but ultimately we are predicting the home side to be far too strong. They could have one of the best attacks the A-league has ever seen and if they can hold their own defensively they could go on to win the competition.
TIP: HT/FT – City/City @ $2.60 with Sportsbet
Central Coast Mariners vs Brisbane Roar (Saturday 5.35pm AEST)
We expected one of these teams to head into this match on the back of a hiding and that is of course the Mariners, however to think that the Roar lost 4-0 to the Jets is beyond belief. If either one of these sides is going to bounce back strongly and make a statement this weekend, it is the Roar.
The Mariners could have easily lost by double digits against the Sky Blues and they were lucky that wayward shooting made the score line look not as bad as their performance. We are expecting the Mariners to struggle all year, similar to last season, as they were poor at recruiting and still have a lot of inexperience in their squad.
The Roar started off their match against the Jets with an own goal and it didn’t get much better for them throughout the rest of the game. The side was dominated and didn’t get much possession of the ball on the way to a 4-0 loss. However, we believe this could be a one off match and the Roar will earn the victory against the mariners.
TIP: Roar @ $1.73 with Ladbrokes
Adelaide United vs Melbourne Victory (Saturday 7.50pm AEST)
These two sides will enter this match on the back of a loss and neither team would be happy with their start to the season. They are both on one competition point and will want to kick start their year with the full 3-points this weekend.
The only positive for the Victory coming out of the game against City was the work from Marco Rojas. He was excellent in the game and scored a brilliant solo goal as he showed what he is capable of. They will need a lot more of that from him as well as other players stepping up if they are going to live up to their preseason standards.
The Reds took an early lead against the Wanderers in the grand final rematch but they weren’t able to hold on for victory. The side has had a lot of changes made to the squad that lifted the premiership last season and we believe it will take them longer to get their players on the same level and the Victory will earn the win on the road.
TIP: Victory @ $2.82 with CrownBet
Wellington Phoenix vs Sydney FC (Sunday 5pm AEST)
The Sky Blues will face their biggest test for the weekend this year as they travel away from Sydney and to a tough location in Wellington. They have won their opening two games 4-0 and are sitting on the top of the table with Melbourne City. Last season they struggled to create clear cut opportunities and find the back of the net but that seems to be an issue of the past as they have created multiple chances in their opening two games and have converted on them. They will be disappointed that they didn’t score more against the Mariners but they can be forgiven for going into cruise control early in that match as the opposition didn’t offer much of a challenge.
The Phoenix have lost their opening two games and they haven’t shown the attacking prowess a lot of people were expecting. They are yet to score a goal and it will be hard for them to be the first side to score against the Sky Blues this season. They also have the disadvantage of having to travel from Western Australia prior to this match and we believe that will go a long way to taking away the home field advantage.
TIP: Sydney FC @ $1.90 with William Hill
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Newcastle Jets (Sunday 7pm AEST)
If anyone says they predicted the Jets scoring four goals and holding a clean sheet against the Roar on the weekend, then they are lying! It was a match that no one saw coming as the Jets were dominant throughout the entire contest and they earned their first victory for the year. They started off strongly last season before dropping away and we are afraid they will be doing the same again this time around. The Roar were clearly having an off day whilst the Jets were clicking on all cylinders.
Meanwhile the Wanderers were able to come from behind to defeat the Reds away from home and put away their disappointing start to the season against Sydney FC. They will need to continue this form to avoid their fans from rioting and we are predicting them to avoid this by earning back-to-back victories this weekend.
TIP: Wanderers @ $1.75 with CrownBet
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!
