On Saturday, Wellington Phoenix will welcome Adelaide United to Sky Stadium for a 14th round game of the 2021/22 A-League season.
Venue: Sky Stadium (Wellington)
Key Statistics
Wellington Phoenix have won their last three home games.
The hosts have lost only one of their last nine home games in all competitions (W7, D1).
Adelaide United are unbeaten in their last three away games (W2, D1).
The visitors have won the most league points (9) away from home this season.
Head to head
Adelaide United have a good record against Wellington Phoenix and have won in 20 out of 39 times they have faced each other. Wellington Phoenix have managed nine wins against Adelaide United.
Latest performances in all competitions
Wellington Phoenix: W-W-L-W-W
Adelaide United: L-W-W-D-D
Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix will look to make it four league wins in a row when they welcome Adelaide United to Sky Stadium on Saturday evening.
The hosts are the Australian League’s most in-form team at the moment as they have taken nine points from the last available 12, including winning their last three league games by an aggregate scoreline of 6-2.
Their last league outing was against high-flying Melbourne Victory – a game they won 1-0 courtesy of a second-half goal by Reno Piscopo.
They come into this game sitting in seventh place in the league standings, one point behind their visitors, Adelaide United. A win in this game will take them into the playoffs.
Given that they have played fewer games than four of the other teams currently in the top seven, they will be desperate to seal a win in this game and at least keep themselves within the top, pending when they will play their outstanding games.
Possible Wellington Phoenix starting line-up
Alex Paulsen; Sam Sutton, Joshua Laws, Tim Payne, Louis Fenton; Alex Rufer, Clayton Lewis, Reno Piscopo, Jaushua Sotirio; Ben Waine, David Ball.
Injured: Gary Hooper
Doubtful: Oskar van Hattum
Suspended: None
Adelaide United
After a disappointing loss to Sydney FC last time out, Adelaide United will be desperate to quickly get back to winning ways when they travel to Sky Stadium on Saturday.
The visitors travel to Wellington on the back of a 2-1 loss to Sydney FC. In a disappointing game at the Coopers Stadium, Sydney FC took the lead in the tenth minute through Elvis Kamsoba. But the hosts equalised in the first half through Stefan Mauk.
Bobo scored in the 73rd minute to restore the visitors lead and secure all three points for them, with Hiroshi Ibusoki missing a late penalty for Adelaide later in the game.
The result leaves them sitting in 6th place but with a point lead over their hosts, who could leapfrog them with a win here.
They will hope to avoid a defeat and will be confident of doing so given that they beat Wellington 4-0 on New Year’s Day when both sides met in the reverse fixture.
Possible Adelaide United starting line-up
Joe Gauci; Ryan Kitto, George Timotheou, Jacob Tratt, Javi Lopez; Juande, Isaias Sanchez, Craig Goodwin; George Blackwood, Bernardo Oliveira, Stefan Mauk.
Injured: Kusini Yengi, Nick Ansell, Nathan Konstandopoulos
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Prediction
Wellington Phoenix 2-1 Adelaide United
