The introduction of Western Melbourne Group, into the A-League promises to triple the derby fever in Melbourne next year. In the meantime, this weekend’s round nine presents fans with two derbies and a blockbuster Friday night match ( played last night) between unbeaten league leaders Perth Glory and the team it has replaced this season as the invincible team, third placed Sydney FC.
The big ladder mover after last week’s round, was Wellington Phoenix which jumped two places into the top six with its second win in a row.
The Nix kicks off Saturday’s matches with a home match against Brisbane Roar.
Wellington Phoenix v Brisbane Roar Sat 22nd Dec, 5.35 pm Westpac Stadium
Mark Rudan’s Phoenix gets the opportunity to consolidate a top six spot when it hosts ninth placed Brisbane Roar. In contrast, John Aloisis’s Roar will be desperate to arrest a three match losing streak. They’ll have to do it without suspended playmaker Eric Bautheac. Roar frontman Adam Taggart returned to the scorer’s sheet in last week’s 2-4 loss to Victory and Roar fans will be hoping he can add to his tally this week.
Melbourne City v Melbourne Victory, Sat 22nd Dec, 7.50 pm AAMI Park
Much has changed in the eight rounds since City’s opening round win in the first derby meeting between these two sides this season. Victory, with its new formation bedded in, has notched up six straight wins with the highest goal tally along the way. Victory forward Kosta Barbarouses is relishing his more central role in attack alongside Swedish international Ola Toivonen. Barbarouses netted a brace against Roar last week taking his tally to four goals just one behind team mate Honda. They come up against an inconsistent Melbourne City, which nevertheless boasts the second best defence in the league behind league leader Perth Glory. The defence marshalled by veteran keeper Eugene Galekovic and Bart Schenkeveld and Harrison Delbridge, also welcomes the inclusion of the experienced Richie De Laet, who scored in the first derby of the season.
Central Coast Mariners v Newcastle Jets , Sun 23rd Dec, 5.00 pm Central Coast Stadium
Both these teams enter the F3 derby on the back of losses, but the Jets are in much better shape than the winless Mariners who are anchored on the bottom of the table. The Jets managed to put league leaders Glory under considerable pressure in last week’s loss but were unable to deliver a final product, for all their attacking endeavour. Hence the rushed return of spearhead Roy O’Donovan after serving a 10 match ban for giving Victory keeper Lawrence Thomas a studs sandwich to the face in last year’s grand final. Meanwhile, Mariner’s coach Mike Mulvey decried his team’s lack of presence in key moments. After last week’s loss away to Phoenix, he suggested he may inject more youth into the side. He has included flying winger Peter Kekeris in this week’s squad.
Adelaide United v Western Sydney Wanderers, Wed 26th Dec, 7.20 pm Coopers Stadium
German coaches Marco Kurz ( Adelaide) and the Wanderer’s Markus Babbel, go head to head in this Boxing Day fixture, and will both be keen for their teams to bounce back from defeats the previous week to Melbourne City and Sydney FC respectively.
Kurz said his Reds team will be looking to eliminate the high number of unforced errors it made against City. He also believes the team lacks a focal point up front at present. Markus Babbel’s Wanderers don’t have that problem at present, with striker Oriol Riera continuing his goal scoring form. The Wanderers will be without red-carded keeper Vedran Janjetovic, but welcome back its influential playmaker Alex Baumjohann after he was sacrificed in an unsuccessful attempt to preserve an early lead against Sydney last week, following Janjetovic’s dismissal.