The following are previews with betting tips for Round 6 of the 2019/20 A-League season.
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Saturday, November 16
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Central Coast Mariners v Adelaide United5:00 PM AEDT, Central Coast Stadium |
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In the Mariners last game, they went down 3-1 to City. Their only goal of the game, was a consolation strike to Jordan Murray in the 89th minute of the match. They managed to have 16 shots, but their of-target shooting let them down, with 11 going awry. They also allowed Melbourne to go 9/23 on target. The Mariners in a small positive did complete 84% of their passes, 440/525. They also won 15 aerial duels to City’s 14 and conceded just four fouls to their 11. However, none of that really matters given the two goal margin in which they lost by. As it currently stands, they are in 8th place on four points. But, they are just two points, less then a win, of 5th position.
Adelaide left it late last round, but a fine James Troisi assist, provided the winning goal to Riley McGree as the Reds claimed all three points in their 1-0 victory over Brisbane. The Reds had 52% of the ball, to go along with 17 shots and one coming of the woodwork. They completed 80% of their passes, at 403/506. And they killed the Roar duels-wise. They won 52 duels to their 38, as well as 25 aerial duels to their seven. They gave away just the five fouls, compared to Brisbane’s 12 as well. Adelaide are currently 5th on six points and they sit just four points of 2nd spot on the ladder.
Key Factor- Adelaide have beaten the Central Coast in 14 of their past 18 matches in which they have versed them in. The Mariners are admittedly a new and rejuvenated side so far this season. But that type of history ain’t exactly easy to get over. Not to mention that the last time they played each other, Adelaide knocked the Mariners out of the final four of the FFA Cup as McGree sunk the 90th minute winner. That coming 18 minutes after Matt Simon was sent of the field with a red card. And it was only two games before that (in terms of the ones they’ve played each other in), when George Blackwood scored a 92nd minute winner. The Reds hold a massive mental edge over the Mariners and expect that to continue into Saturday’s clash.
Betting tip: Pick Adelaide to win at $2.20 (Bet365)
Also pick them to score the first goal of the game at $1.77 (Beteasy)
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Western United v Newcastle Jets7:30 PM AEDT, GMHBA Stadium |
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A perhaps somewhat controversial VAR call ruled out a Western United goal. But it didn’t matter in the end, as former A-League flyer, Appiah-Kubi, in for Berisha, channeled some of the man he was replacing as he scored the 58th minute winner to help his new side defeat the Wanderers 2-1. And it was a come from behind win as well, as Western Sydney found the back of the net in just the 5th minute of the game. Durante also scored his maiden goal for WU, just eight minutes later, in the 13th minute, to lock up the scores at 1-1. WU had 51% possession and shot 5/15 on target. And the did well to keep the Red & Black to just the 2/6 on target. WU won 62 duels and 19 aerial duels. They also completed a respectable 78% of their passes, good for 334/428. The foul numbers were high though, as they conceded 16, to go along with three yellow cards.
Ernie Merrick took aim at one of the refs after his sides 1-1 draw with Perth last round. One of the referees was speaking a foreign language and Merrick fairly claimed that only English should be spoken in an Australian based Football league. These comments came after he was seen speaking differently to a group of three players on the field. He also strongly believed that his side should have gotten a penalty call, one which if true and converted, would’ve seen his side come out 2-1 victors. Jason Hoffman scored their goal in the 31st minute of the game and Diego Castro broke the Novocastrian’s hearts when he scored the late, 85th minute equalizer. The match was also very tense in the final minutes, as the Glory’s Grant received an 87th minute red. The Jets shot just 4/13 on target and held just 36% of the ball throughout the match.
Key Factor- Possession. Last round, they held just 36% of the ball against the Glory. In addition, in their recent 4-1 loss to Sydney, they had just 40% possession in the game. And they have just the two points from their opening four games of the season. Newcastle are battling injuries and don’t have a hell of a lot of depth. So when it comes to the things that they can control, they need to be able to do so well and efficiently. And this is a prime example of that. If they are going to have low possession, then they need to be able to turn it into magic. It;s clear however that they can’t do that, with just the four goals this campaign, at an average of 1.0 goals per game. WU have several capable goal-scorers and are a very damaging team so far this season. Having their fair share of the ball will be a massive helping factor for them if they are to somehow snare a draw or even the win.
Betting tip: Pick Western United to win at $2.04 (Unibet)
Also pick the 2nd half to be the highest scoring one at $2.00 (Beteasy)
Sunday, November 17
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Brisbane Roar v Melbourne City4:00 PM AEDT, Dolphin Stadium |
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84 Minutes in and Riley McGree continued Brisbane’s no-wins streak. His late strike against the Roar sees them currently sit 9th on the ladder, with no wins from four games so far this season. They also have a negative GD of -2. In their 1-0 loss to Adelaide, they shot a simply horrendous 3/18 on target. That was a massive factor as to why they lost the game. They also won just seven aerial duels and were forced to make 16 tackles as well. They did have six corners to the Reds four, but evidently they couldn’t convert their chances when they were given to them. With O’Donovan, O’Shea and O’Neil among the Roars key attackers, it’s actually a travesty and somewhat embarrassing that they couldn’t score at least one goal. They have to fix this ASAP vs City, or else the score could get very, very ugly.
Melbourne did it easy in their 3-1 win over the Mariners. Good scored in the 17th minute, Luna got one in the 59th minute and Griffiths finished of the scoring in the 82nd minute. And they’ve kept up their incredible form without Jamie Maclaren as well, fair play to them. Melbourne had 52% possession and shot nine of their 23 shots on target. They also had a shot hit the woodwork. They also completed a very nice 85% if their passes, good for 474/556. Interestingly, City were forced to make 22 tackles to the Mariners 10, they won eight take ons to the Central Coast’s 10 and they gave away 11 fouls to their four. This proving that despite the score-line, it wasn’t all easy going for City.
Key Factor- Defence, defence, defence, is the key for Brisbane in this one vs City. In the FFA Cup, Melbourne scored, three, two, three and five goals on their way to the final. And in the A-League, without Maclaren mind you for some matches, they’ve found the back of the net two, two, three and three times (their 0-0 draw vs Victory not included). And Brisbane are incredibly shaky under Robbie Fowler in that regard as well. Melbourne are raring and are 1st at the moment, a position that they haven’t been in for a long time. They’ll be determined to stay up there and to keep on banging in the goals. If the Roar are to have any hope of surviving this match, then defence will be the name of the day for them.
Betting tip: Pick City to win and with relative ease at that at $2.38 (Unibet)
Also pick City to score three goals first at $4.75 (Beteasy)
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Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory6:30 PM AEDT, Netstrata Jubilee Stadium |
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Sydney whooped the jets 4-1 in their last game and it wasn’t even close in the rout. Ninkovic scored in just the 6th minute for the Sky Blues, Le Fondre then got another one in the 42nd minute, a Koutroumbis OG made it 3-0 in the 51st minute and Barbarouses rounded things of with his first goal for Sydney in the 65th minute. Sydney had 60% possession and sot 6/17 on target. They fired away immediately at Newcastle’s defence and never looked back. They completed a solid 83% of their passes, 468/565. And they conceded just the three fouls to the Jets 10. They are currently 4th and are closely chasing 1st placed City who have played a game more than them. The Big Blue is one of the A-Leagues biggest matches, as well as that of what’s on the Australian Football Calendar. They smashed the Victory 6-1 last time they met each other, as they knocked them out of the finals series with a whimper. Could another Sky Blues masterclass see them gain another win over their arch-rivals? Watch and wait to find out.
The Victory conceded a penalty in just the 5th minute of their match against the Nix. But then in the 66th minute, a superb solo Ola Toivonen effort made it 1-all. And that is how the game ended, with both sides sharing the spoils. Melbourne dominated the game with 67% possession, as they kept Wellington to just 33%. They also shot 6/20 on target, to their 4/11. And they completed 87% of their passes, to their 74% and the Nix gave away 19 fouls to the Victory’s 15. But somehow Melbourne couldn’t claim all three points, in what was to be fair, an incredible effort to Wellington, a side who’s been battered and bruised all season long. The Victory are currently in 7th and just a point outside of a Top Six place. As well as that, they’ll wan’t redemption for the 6-1 battering, no doubt.
Key Factor- 6-1! 6-1! 6-1! It was the score that Sydney FC used to knock the Melbourne Victory out of the finals last season. In what was simply an insane an un-expected performance, the home side really gave it to Melbourne from start to finish and never once looked behind them. Calver scored in the 3rd minute, Brosque had one in the 43rd minute, Broxham scored an OG in the 47th minute, Le Fondre had one in the 63rd minute, an he had a double just five minutes later, and Ninkovic scored in the 88th minute. Toivonen scored the late goal in the 91st minute, in what was more of a pity consolation for the away side more so then anything else. And that was the last time these two teams met each other. Sydney hold the mental advantage and the physical advantage over Melbourne as well. Sydney are also in red hot form and the Victory, well just aren’t. Sydney will win this Sunday evening clash, no doubt.
Betting tip: Pick Sydney to be victorious at $1.52 (Betfair)
Also pick them to score first at $1.44 (Beteasy)
Best Bet of the Round
Pick City to win and with relative ease at that at $2.38 (Unibet)
Also pick City to score three goals first at $4.75 (Beteasy)