It was a huge weekend of A-League action with the Victory recording their 5th straight win against Adelaide United (2-0), the Glory refusing to give up top spot on the table against Melbourne City (1-0) and the Jets bouncing back with an impressive win over the Brisbane Roar (2-0).
The story of the weekend though was Wellington’s 3-1 win over the Sky Blues. You can read about that match below as the Phoenix prepare to build on that form when they return home to the Cake Tin to face the Central Coast Mariners.
We take a look at all the big matches from round 8 of the A-League.
Multi: Melbourne Victory/Wellington Phoenix/Sydney FC ($7.03)
| MATCH/TIME (AEST) | A-LEAGUE BEST BETS |
| BRISBANE ROAR v MELBOURNE VICTORYSUNCORP STADIUM FRI 14 DEC 0750PM | Melbourne Victory ($2.03) |
| WELLINGTON PHOENIX v CENTRAL COAST MARINERSWESTPAC STADIUM SAT 15 DEC 0535PM | Wellington Phoenix ($1.75)Both teams to score – Yes ($1.65) |
| WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS v SYDNEY FCSTADIUM AUSTRALIA SAT 15 DEC 0750PM | Sydney FC ($1.98)Both teams to score – Yes ($1.70) |
| NEWCASTLE JETS v PERTH GLORYMCDONALD JONES STADIUM
SUN 16 DEC 0500PM |
Perth Glory ($2.70) |
| ADELAIDE UNITED v MELBOURNE CITYHINDMARSH STADIUM SUN 16 DEC 0700PM | Adelaide United ($2.26) |
WELLINGTON PHOENIX (LLLDW) ($1.75) v CENTRAL COAST MARINERS (LLLLL) ($4.10)
Can the Mariners find their first win of the season against a rejuvenated Phoenix?
Wow! The Phoenix came out swinging against the Sky Blues, scoring 3 first half goals to shock the home side. The Wolf spoke last week about Wellington playing with passion and the big question in this match is whether they can keep that flame burning against the Mariners.
It’s been an incredibly tough season for the Central Coast who travel to Westpac Stadium after a 2-0 loss against the Wanderers. With Wellington in punishing attacking form, the combination of Kalifa Cisse, Antony Golec, Kye Knowles and Jake McGing will have their hands full. Connor Pain and Matthew Millar remain bright spots for the Mariners up front but they need more support from Matt Simon and Michael McGlinchey
The key will be for Sarpreet Singh and Roy Krishna to keep generating creativity and energy into the Phoenix attack. Krishna is now the highest goalscorer in club history. The Wolf thinks that the Phoenix at home will be too strong, although both teams should score.
BEST BETS: Wellington Phoenix ($1.75), Both teams to score – Yes ($1.65)
NEWCASTLE JETS (LDWLW) ($2.42) v PERTH GLORY (WWWDW) ($2.70)
Can the Jets cause an upset over the top of the table Glory?
Which Newcastle Jets are we going to see in this game? Ernie Merrick’s side looked strong against the Roar although their job was made considerably easier without striker Adam Taggart who played only 20 minutes after injuring his hamstring last week.
Daniel Georgievski continued his excellent season against the Roar and his defensive presence and ability to transition the ball into attack will be crucial in this match. The big problem that the Wolf sees for the Jets in this match is defending against a creative attack. The Roar relied on Henrique who struggled to generate opportunities in the absence of Taggart. The Glory won’t have that problem with Castro, Keogh, Franjic and Ikonomidis all firing.
The Glory are top of the table with the Victory keeping the pressure on Tony Popovic’s side with their 5th consecutive win against the Reds on Saturday night. The injury to Matthew Spiranovic is a concern although the Perth defence is still strong with Davidson impressive against City alongside Mrcela and Lowry.
BEST BETS: Perth Glory ($2.70)