Matchday 8 was a dark one for the A-League, with the Melbourne derby abandoned after a violent pitch invasion.
An abundance of bad press followed, so league administrators will be hoping that the clubs can put on a great show this weekend to distract from the chaos.
Check out our Matchday 9 preview and A-League betting tips below.
A-League Round 9 Preview & Betting Tips
Brisbane Roar vs Western Sydney Wanderers
Friday 23rd December, 7.45pm (AEDT)
Brisbane continued their ascent up the standings with an impressive victory 1-0 over Newcastle last weekend, with Nicola Mileusnic scoring the winner that separated the sides.
The Roar did the bulk of the attacking despite losing the possession battle, earning a deserved three points to make it seven points from three matches. As such, they will enter this home clash brimming with confidence, despite the recent exit of star striker Charlie Austin.
On the other hand, the Wanderers went down to the lowly Western United in their most recent match. The tightly fought affair resulted in a 1-0 score line, preventing Western Sydney from taking top spot on the table.
Brisbane have not lost to the Wanderers in four head-to-head encounters this year, winning two of those games. However, I’m still wary of the Roar, so I’m backing the draw.
Perth Glory vs Wellington Phoenix
Friday 23rd December, 10.30pm (AEDT)
Eight rounds into the new season Perth Glory sit dead last on the table… again.
We are becoming used to the WA team struggling, and that seems unlikely to change any time soon.
Conversely, Wellington amended their defensive woes to record a 3-1 victory against Adelaide United last weekend, elevating them to sixth on the table.
The NZ-based side will back themselves to climb higher this weekend, having not lost to Perth in the last five head-to-head meetings. However, it’s a long trip over to Perth, and I think the Glory can salvage a draw in front of their home fans.
Sydney FC vs Macarthur
Saturday 24th December, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Sydney FC are heavy favourites heading into this Christmas Eve clash, despite sitting four spots below Macarthur on the table.
The Sky Blues sit ninth after losing to the Mariners last week, while the Bulls are fifth with two wins from their last three games.
Nevertheless, the punters are backing the quality of Sydney, and why wouldn’t you, considering their illustrious history.
Sydney have taken 10 points from their last four meetings with Macarthur, and I can see that run of positive results extending past Saturday night.
Sydney FC
$1.55 (2 Units)
Western United vs Melbourne Victory
Monday 26th December, 6.00pm (AEDT)
There’s still a lot of unknown about the sanctions Melbourne Victory will face in the aftermath of the mass pitch invasion last weekend. At the time of writing, ticket sales have been suspended.
Western United will see this as a great opportunity to get one over their rivals. They’ve finally started to hit some form with two wins from their last three matches, including a 1-0 win against the Wanderers last start.
The drama surrounding Melbourne Victory is sure to be at least a little bit distracting for their players. It remains to be seen how they’ll respond on the pitch this weekend. Regardless, I love the value on offer for United to get the chocolates on this occasion.
Western United
$3.20 (1.5 Units)
Melbourne City vs Central Coast Mariners
Tuesday 27th December, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Melbourne City may still be awarded three points despite their match with Victory getting abandoned last weekend. They led 1-0 before the pitch invasion.
City were attempting to bounce back from their first loss of the season, which happened pre–World Cup against Sydney.
Meanwhile, the Mariners have strung together back-to-back wins and have now won four of their last six. They’ve now climbed into third spot in the standings.
City were playing some great football in their first game back, and will fancy their chances against a Mariners outfit that they’ve beaten in each of their last four attempts. I expect them to make it five on the spin.
Melbourne City
$1.68 (2 Units)
Adelaide United vs Newcastle Jets
Tuesday 27th December, 7.45pm (AEDT)
Adelaide United were building some serious momentum pre-World Cup but weren’t able to pick up where they left off, going down 3-1 against the Phoenix last weekend.
The Reds will be looking forward to getting back home to play in front of their fans for just the third time this campaign - they’ve won both matches at home to date.
The Jets had a great start to their season with wins in each of their first two games, although their form since has left a lot to be desired. They’ve lost five of their last six and have failed to score in four of those matches.
Despite losing last weekend, the Reds are the far stronger team in this matchup and their chances of winning are only increased at home. They should be winning this more often than not.
Adelaide United
$1.85 (2 Units)
