FTS A-League Preview Round 22: Western Sydney Wanderers vs Newcastle Jets
This weekend’s Hyundai A-League action sees the Newcastle Jets face a Western Sydney Wanderers side playing at Pirtek Stadium for the third successive league game running. With the previous two meetings between the two clubs ending all square, surely one of these cellar-dwellers will break the trend and emerge the victor come the full-time whistle.
The visitors enter this fixture after receiving a 4-0 thumping courtesy of Melbourne City last weekend and will look to try provide some sort of response to their fans come Saturday night. In the grand scheme of things the Jets’ season is all but over and this has been further solidified by the ongoing off-field drama that has surrounded the club over the last two months. But irrespective of the issues off the pitch, the Newcastle fans will be hoping for a much more improved performance against an opponent who they share bottom spot alongside.
The Wanderers, after a 0-0 stalemate with FC Seoul in midweek, return to “Wanderland” once more following a 3-0 defeat to Melbourne Victory last Friday night. Tony Popovic’s troops appear to be dropping like flies given the side’s recent fixture congestion and lack of rest, but should be fired up to entertain their passionate home crowd and deliver them all three points.
A win for either side would do little to improve their respective seasons apart from decreasing the gap between them and the 8th-placed Mariners who, in all respect, also appear out of realistic finals football contention. In truth, this Saturday’s match is a battle of the cellar-dwellers and will do little to change anything apart from who occupies bottom spot outright. Despite the aforementioned draws these two sides have shared in previous meetings this season, and despite the ongoing fatigue, the Wanderers should claim all three points.
Head-to-Head:
Played: 8. Western Sydney Wanderers: 3. Newcastle Jets: 2.
Last Meeting: 14/2/2015 at Hunter Stadium. Newcastle Jets 1-1 Western Sydney Wanderers.
Form Guide:
Western Sydney Wanderers: LLLWL Newcastle Jets: DDDLL
Absentee List:
Western Sydney Wanderers: Nick Ward (knee – indefinite), Nick Kalmar (not selected), Mateo Poljak (calf), Golgol Mebrahtu (knee – indefinite), Brendan Hamill (thigh), Brendon Santalab (shoulder), Shannon Cole (collarbone), Mark Bridge (injured)
Newcastle Jets: Jess Vanstrattan (knee – indefinite), Joshua Barresi (knee – season), James Virgili (ankle – 4 weeks)
Possible XI:
Western Sydney Wanderers: Covic; Golec; Topor-Stanley; Spiranovic; Tanaka; La Rocca; Perkatis; Takahagi; Sotirio; Castelen; Bulut
Newcastle Jets: Kennedy; Ki-Je Lee; Mullen; Regan; Neville; Kantarovski; Caravella; Alivodic; Cooper; Hoole; Montano
Prediction: Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 Newcastle Jets
FTSAUS Facts:
Of the 9 league games that the Wanderers have contested at home this season, last Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over Melbourne City is the only win the red-and-blacks have achieved in front of their own fans all season.
Newcastle are yet to win a match in 2015. A 2-1 victory over Adelaide in December last year was the last time the former champions attributed three competition points.
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