Adelaide United V Western Sydney Wanderers
Friday 27th December 2019 – 08:30 Kick-Off
Australian A-League
Pick: Adelaide United to WIN
Odds: 11/10
Bookmaker: BetVictor
(All betting odds displayed were correct at time of writing: 26th December 2019 at 13:30)
Preview: Some action from the Australian A-League, as hosts Adelaide United look to capitalise on the struggles of Western Sydney Wanderers at their Coopers Stadium.
Australian A-League Betting at 22Bet
Adelaide United Preview – Free-scoring hosts have sights set on third place?
Boasting a game in hand over those currently higher up in the A-League standings, this is an opportunity for fifth-in-the-table Adelaide United (5th – W5 D0 L4, GF16 GA13) to make some serious inroads. Victory would ensure a rise of several positions, thus moving them to within a point of Melbourne City in second. Even a draw, as unlikely as that may seem bearing in mind they are the only remaining side this season still to feature in a drawn encounter, would see them climb one place to fourth.
The Reds are sure to target maximum points here, though, against favourable opponents who really are struggling for any semblance of form right now. Adelaide, meanwhile, are not in the greatest of conditions themselves, having lost 2-1 to Central Coast in their last game to make it two defeats in three for manager Gertjan Verbeek and his team. United have fared better at home however, with three wins from the last four, the latest of which a 2-1 triumph over Newcastle Jets.
A recurring theme throughout the campaign has been goals. Remarkably, all but one of Adelaide’s nine A-League fixtures so far have produced goals for both sides, managing to score in all nine of those encounters whilst only managing the single shut out against the league lowest scorers, Brisbane Roar, on Matchday 4. That means out of their total of five league victories this season, four were despite the other team scoring. Meanwhile, all four of their losses arrived via slender one-goal margins.
Western Sydney Wanderers Preview – Babbel seeking end to winless drought?
A parched Australia, which has been enduring some sweltering temperatures recently, is forecast some much-needed rain in the coming days. Western Sydney Wanderers (8th – W3 D2 L5, GF10 GA14) will hope this is a symbolic sign that their own dry patch may soon be coming to an end, with this fixture marking three months to the day since Markus Babbel’s side last won an A-League encounter – that a narrow 1-0 success over local rivals Sydney FC, who, strangely enough, are the current runaway league leaders.
Since that most recent success all the way back on 26 October, Western Sydney have seen both their goals and points dry up. Across their past seven matches they have avoided defeat only twice – drawing with Brisbane Roar and Western United – and scored only five times. To compound their woes, four of their five losses during this barren period were away from home, conceding precisely two goals on each occasion to Newcastle Jets (2-0), Perth Glory (2-0), Wellington (2-1) and Western United (2-1).
Four straight away defeats is the form Markus Babbel and his demoralised outfit take with them to Sydney. However, last week’s score-draw at home with Western United (1-1) did at least stop a rot of sorts, ending a dire five-game sequence without registering a single point from any A-League fixture (L5). It was arguably one of those frustrating conclusions to a game that will have almost felt like a loss, though; getting their noses in front in the 79th minute, it was a lead that would be relinquished three minutes from the end of normal time.
Adelaide United Vs Western Syndey Wanderers – Key Facts:
- At home this season, Adelaide United have won three of their five matches – only one of these four encounters didn’t produce both teams scoring.
- Western Sydney are seven A-League games without recording a win (D2 L5), which includes four successive away defeats.
- The home team has failed to win this fixture in each of the past five meetings, all of which featured both teams scoring.
Betting Summary
Unless there is some critical team news we are unaware of, Adelaide United (11/10 BetVictor) at above Evens to beat a downtrodden Western Sydney Wanderers (49/20 Unibet) seems extremely generous.
Adelaide have slumped to a couple of losses in their past three matches but are still very much competing in every game, scoring at least once in all nine A-League fixtures this season and winning five of their past seven matches. That includes three of their last four as hosts. Conversely, opponents Western Sydney are winless in seven (D2 L5), scoring just five times across this spell, and arrive desperately hoping to halt a four-game away run without avoiding defeat.
Only one team possesses a better record this season when hosts than Adelaide United, whose regular source of goals should be too much for their out-of-sorts visitors. This despite the former only managing to shut out one of its opening nine opponents, which would perhaps make a bet on Both Teams to Score (4/7 PaddyPower) the safest route into this fixture. Adelaide & Both Teams to Score appeals at 11/4 with Betway.
