After months of waiting the 2019-2020 A-League season finally returns! It’s been announced that there are 27 fixtures left in the home and away season, all of which will be played on individual days over the next month or so (hopefully). Action kicks off this Friday night between Sydney and Wellington, while Perth and Central Coast will battle on Saturday, and Brisbane and Adelaide go toe to toe on Sunday. We’ve covered all three games and provided our best bets, so check them out below and good luck to everyone following!
A-League Fri-Sun Matches
Sydney FC vs Wellington Phoenix
Nestrata Jubilee Stadium (NSW), Friday 7:30pm AEST
In case you’ve forget during the break, Sydney are the team to beat again this season and sit firmly on top of the league table. They’re eight points clear of second and have a huge +26 goal difference. Sydney are the reigning champions and have the perfect opportunity to push for back to back now that the competition is set in NSW.
Wellington Phoenix were the clear form team of the competition prior to the break and come into this on a four game winning streak. They’ve lost just twice from their past 15 games and surged into third spot on the ladder. It’ll be tough for the club to be away from NZ for such a long time, so it’ll be interesting to see how they can perform on the pitch.
Sydney are the fortunate ones that get the remainder of the competition played on their home turf, so there’s no excuses for them this season. At home, it’s extremely hard to foresee anything other than a Sydney win here.
Perth Glory vs Central Coast Mariners
Central Coast Stadium (NSW), Saturday 5pm AEST
Perth Glory got off to a slow start in season 2019-20 but warmed into it very nicely and went on a big six game winning streak from rounds 9-15. That said, they did drop away leading into the hiatus and have just one win from their past seven fixtures (1-4-2). Glory come into this in fifth spot and four points clear of sixth.
Perennial strugglers Central Coast Mariners probably wouldn’t have been mad if the season got called off altogether. They’re a clear last on the table with just 13 points accumulated from 22 fixtures. Another wooden spoon is well and truly on the horizon.
Glory couldn’t have asked for a better way to get rid of the cobwebs and warm back into the season. Their form may not have been great heading into the break, but they’ve won four of the past five against the Mariners and we expect them to get the job done again on Saturday evening.
Brisbane Roar vs Adelaide United
Cbus Super Stadium (QLD), Sunday 7:30pm AEST
Brisbane will be looking to pick up where they left off prior to the Covid pandemic. They entered the break on a three match winning streak that saw them surge into fourth spot on the table. Roar have played an extra couple of games compared to clubs surrounding them, so they certainly haven’t pencilled in a finals berth just yet.
Adelaide United have had a very strange campaign and are remarkably yet to feature in a draw after 21 games (9-0-12). Their form prior to the break certainly wasn’t a sight for sore eyes as they lost all four games before the hiatus. They’ll be hoping to start on the right foot this weekend to get their finals aspirations back on track.
Brisbane Roar get to resume their campaign in Queensland which will give them a little bit of a boost here. They haven’t had the best of form against Adelaide in recent years but they did manage to win the last time they met (2-1). It should be a great game with plenty of goals, but we have to give the slight nod to the home side at juicy odds.
