The following are previews with betting tips for Round 13 of the 2018/19 A-League season.
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Friday, January 11
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Melbourne City v Brisbane Roar7:50 PM AEDT, AAMI Park |
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Cheers for the victory Vargas
City were down at home 1-0 to Newcastle. Well that was before Vargas saw red and gave former Jets and now Melbourne man Riley McGree a chance to make it 1-all. He did, Newcastle were down to 10 men for the rest of the game and the entire outcome of the match changed. That being a match that City eventually won 2-1 after Luke Brattan scored only five minutes later in the 32nd minute to make the score eventually what it turned out to be. Two goals in the space of five minutes is all it took for City to claim 4th spot and show they are a legitimate threat in this seasons Hyundai A-League. It was a game taken over by Warren Joyce’s side as they held 66% of the ball, shot 4/10 on target and completed 83% of their passes. Everybody thought they would crumble without Fornarolli, but with a strong team spirit, none of that stuff seems to matter to this Melbourne City team.
Taggart lights up his former club, but Perth light up Taggart’s entire team
Adam Taggart scored two against his old side in the form of the Glory. But it wasn’t enough as they went down 4-2 to Perth at Suncorp Stadium. Taggart was exceptional for the entire game, that with the exception of his late penalty miss that would’ve just kept Brisbane in the match. They were his 8th and 9th goals of the campaign. He is now only one behind Le Fondre in leading the A-League in that department. However an opposition goal, an OG, two Perth penalties, which were both converted and a 2nd half Bowles red all proved costly in one way or another in the two goal defeat. The Roar to their credit did manage to find the back of the net twice from only eight attempts at goals. But they also only had 33% possession, 65% of their passes completed and they also gave away 19 fouls, all of which is pretty rubbish! They have only seven points from 12 played matches this campaign.
Betting tip: Pick City to win at $1.58 (Neds, UniBet, BetEasy, TopBetta)
Also pick them to score first at $1.50 (Ladbrokes)
Saturday, January 12
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Wellington Phoenix v Central Coast Mariners5:35 PM AEDT, Westpac Stadium |
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Kurto, Kurto, Kurto, oh you absolute genius Filip Kurto
Filip Kurto was simply sensational in the Phoenix’s 0-0 draw with Adelaide. If it wasn’t for him Wellington most definitely would not have claimed a point as he made seven total saves throughout the match and was an absolute rock at the back. He is quickly proving himself to be one of the A-Leagues better Goalkeepers. However it wasn’t all easy for Wellington despite the spoils being shared as Mandi saw red in the 68th minute. And this severely hindered Wellington’s ability to really threaten Adelaide’s goals. Wellington had only seven shots the entire game, whereas Adelaide had 32. But to the Phoenix’s credit they kept them out the entire match. And Wellington pretty much matched Adelaide in duels with the Phoenix winning 58 duels to Adelaide’s 60 as well as 23 aerial duels to their 24. During their six match unbeaten streak the Phoenix have either kept their opposition to one or zero goals the entire time. A really impressive feat and one that should be easily kept alive against the struggling Mariners.
Charlesworth out, Cisse out, whole Mariners sqaud #out?
It was only two rounds ago that a Charlesworth out banner was seen at a Gosford home game. And now some social media comments appear to be wanting the same thing for Cisse after the former Reading mans red against Sydney in the 26th minute of the match. It was dumb to say the least as it changed the entire outcome of the game for the Mariners. Previously they had been up 1-0 after a 17th minute Pain strike. However after that they were down 4-1 until O’Neil got one back in the 66th minute. The CCM ended up being smashed to the tune of a 5-2 score-line. And they shot only two on target the entire game! Something that pretty much sums up their dismal season. And off the field it hasn’t been getting any better for them with Ross McCormack ending his short stint with the club and returning to England. He didn’t do much for the Mariners and was way more influential for City. Never the less this is still bad news for the club as when healthy he’s a real threat indeed (14 goals in 17 matches for City).
Betting tip: Pick Wellington to be victorious at $1.60 (Neds, PalmerBet)
Also pick the second-half to be the highest scoring one at $2.05 (Neds)
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Melbourne Victory v Newcastle Jets7:50 PM AEDT, AAMI Park |
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There’s a party going on in Homebush
Toivonen, Toivonen, Toivonen!!! Man continued to rise up the goal-scoring charts as he scored an 86th minute winner at ANZ Stadium in what was his 2nd strike of the match. In Honda’s absence he stood up big and delivered them the huge 2-1 victory. Those were also his only two shots of the game, while he also made 17 accurate passes and he gave away only one foul during the entire match. This was a very strong performance from Melbourne as the opposition were determined to claim the home victory. That was shown through their 24 shots, yet somehow the Victory persevered and came through with the much deserved three points. They took advantage of their shots at goal as only three of them went on target, but they converted two of them. As it currently stands, the Victory have not lost since the end of Round Two, a very impressive feat. They are playing strongly and already three times this season have scored four goals in a match.
Which is worse? Your marquee man being sent of or a former player scoring against you?
Vargas was sent off and Riley McGree converted the penalty attempt. Which one’s worse? Because they are both pretty bad and Newcastle most certainly felt the pain in their 2-1 defeat. A defeat which leaves them four points of a finals berth and over three victories of a much coveted Top Two spot. They started very brightly after Roy O’Donovan opened the scoring in only the 4th minute, however from there onwards it was all in favor of the opposition. And Melbourne sealed the win with two quick-fire strikes within the 27-32nd minutes of the game. Newcastle were absolutely piss-poor at shooting the ball as they saw only two of their 18 shots go on target. So whether or not Vargas’s red was questionable, they killed of their own chances themselves. While in comparison Melbourne were able to go 4/10. As well as that having only 34% possession didn’t help their cause either. It’s safe to say their campaign so far hasn’t gone to plan and probably won’t get much better against the Victory.
Betting tip: Pick the Victory to win at $1.90 (Bet365)
Also pick them to score last at $1.62 (Neds)
Sunday, January 13
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Sydney FC v Adelaide United6:00 PM AEDT, Jubilee Stadium |
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Four on the trot and they just won’t stop!
The Sky Blues have won their past four matches in a row and are showing why they are one of the teams to contend with in this campaign’s Hyundai A-League. Le Fondre (of course), Brosque (three goals) and Calver (a maiden A-League goal) all starred in the home 5-2 rout of the Mariners. Helping their cause was a Cisse send of which was a bit of a sissy move by the refs (no pun intended). But despite conceding the games opening goal, Sydney were the better and more dominant side for the majority of the match. In a testament to just how offensively crushing they were, they managed to see 13/23 shots go on target. Now compare that to the lowly Mariners who shot just two on target the entire match! The Sky Blues also completed 504/586 passes and gave away only eight fouls. They are looking as strong as ever and this is without Ninkovic having scored this season. While they were also able to win with De Silva out as per his loan agreement. Pretty good stuff!
32 shots yet not a goal, oh they are in such a big hole
They took 32 shots against Wellington, Wellington took four. The score was 0-all. OUCH! Marco Kurz’s men in this situation need to be able to do so much better. But the Phoenix were resilient and that’s how the game stood. As a result Adelaide are currently 5th on the table. Still Adelaide are undefeated in five of their past seven games this campaign and have had some real stars turn up. One is probably should be at the Asian Cup Craig Goodwin who was monumental in them winning the FFA Cup. While during his A-League season he’s registered four goals, three assists and 33 shot assists. While Paul Izzo as the Goalie has been equally as heroic with 34 saves made so far, including 10 from outside his own box. And he’s averaging an impressive 3.09 saves per match. With these guys in tow Adelaide should be able to climb out of the hole that Mark Rudan and his side left Adelaide in.
Betting tip: Pick the Sky Blues to be victorious at $1.85 (BetEasy)
Also pick the total goals bracket to be 4-6 at $3.00 (TopBetta)
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Perth Glory v Western Sydney Wanderers8:00 PM AEDT, HBF Park |
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Ikon-a-who?
At the Asian Cup you just wondered a little bit how Perth would go about their business without one of the A-Leagues leading scorers in tow. However as it turns out, it’s pretty much the same as for the second week in a row they bagged four goals in a game in their two strike win over Brisbane. Without Ikonimidis the Glory found sanction through Neil Kilkenny who bagged two goal courtesy of two penalty’s. While Andy Keogh again found the back of the net for his 7th of the season. And while Adam Taggart proved lethal against his former side with two goals, a missed spot-kick from him, a Brisbane red and an OG going in Perth’s favor saw them get the victory in and end-to-end, exciting affair of club Football. Perth killed it against Brisbane and that’s exactly how their seasons been going to an absolute tee. They are in 1st place with eight wins, two draws and one loss from 11 games so far. They are three points clear and boast Keogh, Killkenny, Castro & Santalab among others to draw on offensively. Do the Wanderers really stand a chance in this game?
A confused club, a very confused club
They lost 2-1 to the Victory last time out and in the process continuing their horrid run against them. However putting that aside, the Wanderers this season have only won two matches and they have a GD of -8. Rivals Sydney have far more then double their points total, 23 vs 9. The Red & Black have protesting/leaving fans, while they’ve won only one of their last eight games. This is under Babbel, their new manager, a legendary German who was expected to turn things around. And compounding all of this misery, they took 24 shots vs Melbourne, yet could only score a penalty for their troubles, their only real attacking threat in Riera is having some serious form issues at the moment and it wasn’t all that long ago that they lost 3-1 to Perth. Perth being their opponents for this round. The club is in stitches at the moment and is seriously struggling to do anything good of note. Predicting the Hyundai A-League can sometimes prove quite a challenge, however here I can confidently 100% say Perth will put several past them.
Betting tip: Pick the Glory to win at $1.95 (BetEasy)
Also pick them to be the games only goal-scorers at $2.32 (TopBetta)
Tuesday, January 15
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Brisbane Roar v Melbourne Victory7:50 PM AEDT, Suncorp Stadium |
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An Aloisi-less Roar still have the same old Aloisi problems
After John Aloisi resigned they lost 2-1 to Sydney with a missed Adam Taggart penalty costing them a share in the spoils, aka a draw. And a round later another missed penalty from him + a red card + giving away their own two penalty attempts in a 4-2 loss vs Perth is what cost them in the 4-2 defeat. The Roar plain suck this season and have seven losses from 12 games. They also have only one win and are in 9th. Last season they posted 12 and finished in the finals. This current campaign has not gone to plan for them and they will not be playing elimination Football this season. With or without Aloisi this season should already be a write-off for them and they should play their youth prospects as much as possible. However in some exciting news, former Liverpool, Leeds, Man City & A-League player Robbie Fowler has come out and said he’d love to coach. Whether or not he could transition from an amazingly gifted player to a great coach is up for debate. But regardless if the Roar were to get him it would be a massive signing and make for exciting times ahead.
Catch us if you can
That’s what the Victory are happily singing out as they continue to dominate their competition. And despite being in 2nd place, they were the team responsible for knocking Perth out of the FFA Cup. While they also beat Sydney at Jubilee 2-1. They are looking the goods so far, especially impressive considering they haven’t had former AC Milan man Honda for a spate of recent matches. However stepping up in his absence are several key players including Troisi and Antonis who have four assists each. While they also have one and three goals respectively. Toivonen also has seven goals and two assists while Barbarouses has four strikes and two assists. These four players are a crucial part of any Victory Championship this season and so far this campaign have strongly played their part. And you can’t forget Kevin Muscat either, a coach who season after season continues to win trophies and or make Grand Finals, defy slow starts, etc. Many fans and critics hate on him, but we all know he’s a very successful manager. And to think they’ve done all this without Berisha who departed at the end of last season, it’s an absolute credit to the club and all the people involved in it.
Betting tip: Pick the Victory to be victorious at $2.00 (BetEasy)
Also pick them to be the only team that scores at $2.40 (Unibet)
Wednesday, January 16
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Central Coast Mariners v Melbourne City7:50 PM AEDT, Central Coast Stadium |
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Free memberships for Mariners fans #Justathought
Given the Mariners results this season, they really should be. With all due respect, when your starting Matt Simon and Connor Pain is one of your top attackers, you know something is seriously wrong. This campaign after starting of with two draws, the CCM have gone on to lose 3-0, 4-1, 3-2, 2-1, 2-0, 2-0, 2-1, 4-1 and 5-2. In everyone of those losses they’ve conceded two or more goals. And in their two draws, collectively they were able to put up only 11 shots. That’s bad enough, but when compared to the opponents collective 44 shots its so, so, so much worse! And during the post-match interview after his sides 5-2 capitulation against Sydney coach Mike Mulvey was not happy. However he did say that his side could possibly looking to make some new January additions which should get fans excited. And prioritized among them should be someone to replace Ross McCormack. He was their key off-season signing and was billed as the player to help return the Mariners to finals Football, however he was to simply put it, crap for them. He scored only one goal and has already returned to Europe. Hopefully their replacement singing, if there is one, will prove to be a bit more of a success.
City are gunning for the top
They are only two wins of the top and one win of 2nd place. City are closely chasing all of the Glory, Victory and Sydney and they should be scared. Melbourne are no longer a one-man team now that Bruno Fornaroli is not in the picture and several players are stepping up and delivering big time. Luke Brattan has two goals and one assist + 13 shot assists. Riley McGree has two goals, two assists and 12 shot assists. Dario Vidosic has two goals, two assists and eight shot assists. Wales and de Laet are playing their roles perfectly while Galekovic has been insane! He’s kept four clean sheets this season from just 10 games. That’s nearly one in every two games. While he’s made 10 saves from outside his box. And City are winning ruthlessly as well. Just as Newcastle thought they might have a chance to win last round, Melbourne scored two quick-fire goals in the 27th minute and 32nd minute of the game to quickly shut of any chances they had of being victorious in the match. They are an underdog contender for this seasons A-League Championship, there’s no doubt about it!
Betting tip: Pick City to win at $1.76 (TopBetta)
Also pick Luke Brattan to be an any-time goal-scorer at $5.40 (Unibet)
Best Bet of the Round
My favourite/best bets of the round are the Glory to win at $1.95 (BetEasy) and for them to be the games only goal-scorers at $2.32 (TopBetta) vs the Wanderers. Western Sydney have been struggling as of late and Perth are on absolute fire!