Following consecutive 1-0 losses to Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Heart respectively, Brisbane Roar will be keen on extending their lead at the top of the A-League table.
A dire performance last week at AAMI Park saw the league-leaders’ stranglehold on the A-League table cut to just four points and Brisbane Roar will be keen on redeeming themselves against an out-of-sorts Perth outfit who have enjoyed a woeful away record this season.
Mike Mulvey’s troops produced an uncharacteristically poor performances last week against John van’t Schip’s in-form Melbourne Heart side. Throughout the 90 minutes, Brisbane lacked creativity and failed to produce the same flair that saw them rise emphatically to the top of the A-League.
Their failure to move the ball quickly and subsequent failure to penetrate Heart’s defence in the final third saw the team slump to a defeat in a scrappy affair. And despite concerns that the Roar had suffered from fatigue, Mulvey quickly dismissed such claims and so we should be expecting a hungry Brisbane outfit ready to come out firing.
On the other hand, Perth Glory find themselves in deep trouble following a 2-0 defeat at the hands of second-placed Wanderers at home last weekend. Their failure to trouble opposing goalkeepers is compounded by their lack of defensive stability at the back, highlighted by William Gallas’s comical attempted clearance which resulted in Tomi Juric putting the game at rest.
The Western Australians will come into this match as underdogs and are on a six-match losing streak. The onus will be on Kenny Lowe to plug defensive holes at the back whilst placing goals in the back of the net in the final third.
Head-to-head/Previous encounter:
Played: 27 – Roar 16, Glory 5, Drawn 6
Glory 0-0 Roar, January 17, 2014
Form Guide
Glory 0-0 Roar, January 17, 2014
Absentee List:
Brisbane Roar: George Lambardardis (knee – season)
Perth Glory: Injuries – Travis Dodd (knee) and Scott Jamieson (achilles). Suspensions – Michael Thwaite ( 1-week suspension)
Eyes On…
Luke Brattan – Now a familiar face within the Roar setup, Brattan has proven to be instrumental in midfield. However, will be keen on bouncing back after a poor display last week.
Prediction:
Almost a certainty that Brisbane will run out victors. Predicting a comfortable 3-0 win.
