Western to keep rolling, Sydney face another banana peel by StuffsEarth

There are another three mid-week A-League fixtures to savour over the next few days and the panel’s tipping heading into last night’s fixture between Macarthur and Adelaide was starting to look a lot better, as we round the bend at the first third of the season.

Brisbane have a chance to avoid further embarrassment when they take on a Jets team that threw away points against Sydney FC last Saturday, Melbourne City hosts Western United in a derby that we hope will draw more than 5,000 people at AAMI Park and Sydney are at home to Perth on Wednesday night.

Good luck with your tips and be sure to enter them in the sheet below to play a role as a member of the roar of the crowd. Here are the thoughts and predictions of the panel on all the action.

Mike Tuckerman

Western United, Brisbane, Sydney

Melbourne City eased to a comfortable 2-0 win over Wellington Phoenix on the weekend, but the jury is still out on whether Aurelio Vidmar is the man to lead them to their next trophy. City have been plagued by injuries and they’ll go into this clash with a fairly inexperienced line-up. Western United are unbeaten in five and have nothing to fear. They should nick this one.

The tide simply must turn for Brisbane Roar, who were in the fight for long stretches but still went down 3-1 to the Central Coast Mariners last Friday. They face a Newcastle Jets side that conceded two late goals in their 2-2 draw with Sydney FC, and both of these teams go into this clash somewhat fatigued. This will be a dogfight and a solitary goal could settle it.

Sydney FC fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with the Newcastle Jets last weekend, but coach Ufuk Talay will be frustrated by his team’s continual slow starts. The Sky Blues have flattered to deceive for much of the season but should still have far too much firepower for an outmatched Perth Glory. The latter are the worst team in the league and it’s likely to show.

Stuart Thomas

United, Brisbane, Sydney

No coach is doing more with less than Aurelio Vidmar and City sit fourth on the ladder amidst an injury riddled start to the season. Western United continue to loom as a dark horse and both teams will be tested with the short turnaround in the summer conditions. United for me based on fatigue playing a role for the youngsters in the City squad.

The Jets wasted a chance to grab all three points against Sydney FC when they stopped pressing forward and allowed the Sky Blues to grab two late goals last weekend. Frankly, it was costly, with the top six slipping further away from them. Should Brisbane lose at home to them tonight, we can stick a fork in the Roar. A draw seems the most likely result but surely the Queenslanders lift for this one?

Sydney remain in third gear but when they do put the foot to the floor, look out! Championship favourites for me at this stage of the season and Perth will be no match for them on the road this Wednesday. In fact, Sydney might well put five on them.

David Shilovsky

Draw, Brisbane, Sydney

City take on a Western United outfit in good form, with both sides coming off a short turnaround. A mild forecast should allow both teams to play decent football, I’ll go with a draw.

Newcastle were good value for their draw with supposed title contenders Sydney last time out but Brisbane’s desperation should make the difference at Suncorp Stadium.

Closing out the mini round, the Sky Blues host Perth in what looks like an easy fixture on paper, but could be anything but if Perth come to the Harbour City with the right attitude. I’ll tip an unhappy return for David Zdrilic as Sydney’s squad depth proves too much for Glory to overcome after a short turnaround.

Andrew Prentice

Draw, Newcastle, Sydney

The Jets were good for their draw in Sydney and will approach Brisbane confident of adding to the Roar’s woes. It’s hard to see where Ruben Zadkovich can turn to try and set the team on a better course. Tom Waddingham needs to get amongst it some more and that might spark something. The Jets have more options in attack and should get the points.

Despite a host of injuries, City were able to take the points against Wellington. Western have just gone about their business and will have no fear of their noisier neighbours in the other Melbourne derby. Ibusuki was left on the bench last round and will be wanting to prove to John Aloisi that he is a 90 minute man every week, not every other week. A low-scoring draw looms.

Perth Glory will be looking for the ladders and black cats after conceding two injury-time goals to lose to Western 4 days ago. Sydney were the opposite – coming from 2-0 down to draw at Newcastle. Patryk Klimala returned against Newcastle and will be good for the run. He may relish the chance to take on the leaky Glory defence. If Sydney handle Adam Taggert, I see no other result except a Sky Blues win.

Texi Smith

City, Brisbane, Sydney

Never-say-die Western United return to Melbourne for an early kick-off on Tuesday; AAMI Park a venue way too big for this fixture. City’s comfortable dispatch of a handy Wellington team on the weekend should be repeated here and Steven Ugarkovic will set the scene with a thunderbolt on ten minutes. The irrepressible Hiroshi Ibusuki to level the scores on the hour as City fade, but a frantic final five minutes sees the home team score a dramatic winner, Kavian Rahmani with a debut goal.

Brisbane Roar are unbackable this season. Just when you think they can’t possibly go another week without winning a game, they go and lose again. They’ve lost every game at home this season, even against whipping boys Perth Glory. Is there any hope?

Up against a Newcastle Jets team who frustrate their fans in equal measure, this should be another night of agony for the league’s bottom club, but they do it the hard way. Keegan Jelacic has the home team in the box seat with a goal inside the first minute of the second half, but a swift turnaround with goals on the break from Eli Adams and Ben Gibson sees the Jets hang on for the win.

Sydney FC got out of jail in Newcastle on the weekend, and will be expected to put Perth Glory to the sword. The visitors have forgotten how to defend a lead, forgotten how to win, but will be a stubborn opponent, unfazed by the bland tiki-taka Corica-esque keep-ball in the first half.

It takes the introduction of Patrick Wood and Jaiden Kucharski to change the game as Sydney go for broke, and they score four unanswered goals in the last twelve minutes. A statement win for the Sky Blues who rejoin the race for a top-six finish.

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