Western United will face Brisbane Roar in the A-League on Friday at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (December 30). The hosts have won two games in a row. Their 1-0 home win against Melbourne Victory on Monday propelled them from last position to 11th in the rankings with 10 points.
Meanwhile, Brisbane is unbeaten in their previous six league games, winning two of them, and sits seventh in the rankings with 11 points. Carlo Armiento’s second-half goal lifted them to a 1-1 draw against Western Sydney Wanderers in their last match.
Prediction
Western’s three wins this season have all come in their past four games, including back-to-back 1-0 triumphs at home. They have only lost one of their three home games versus Brisbane and are the clear favourites.
Meanwhile, the Lions have gone undefeated in their previous six games, scoring seven goals and allowing four. Given the two sides’ recent form, a draw is possible.
Western United is my pick. Brisbane Roar 1-1. Given Western United’s recent domination in this match, the hosts are favourites to take all three points today, and we anticipate them to live up to expectations and finish the job at the final whistle.
Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have only met seven times, all of which have been in the A-League. Western is up 5-2.
- Two of these encounters have gone beyond 2.5 goals, with Western winning 3-2 at Kayo Stadium in March.
- No team has lost more games (5) in the A-League this season than Western, while no team has lost less games than Brisbane (1).
- Brisbane had the A-joint-best League’s defensive record this season, surrendering six goals in eight games.
- Western has the league’s lowest defensive record, having allowed 18 goals in nine games.
- No team has won less games in the league this season than Brisbane (2), while Western has only three victories.
Lineup
Western United:
- Young;
- Garuccio, Imai, Tratt, Risdon;
- Doumbia, Kilkenny;
- Wales, Troisi, Pain;
- Prijovic
Brisbane Roar:
- Holmes;
- Hingert, Neville, Aldred, Courtney-Perkins;
- Mileusnic, O’Shea, Trewin, Armiento;
- Akbari, Knowles
Betting Tips
Goals – Over/Under 2.5 Goals – Over 2.5 Western to score first – Yes
At least one goal is expected to be scored in the second half.
Where to watch
For fans who want to watch every match, Paramount+ is the place to go, with every match of the 2022/23 A-League Men season being broadcast on the site. ESPN+ may be accessed through PC, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android phone, Android tablet, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire tablet, Roku, Chromecast, PlayStation 4/5, Oculus Go, Samsung Smart TV, and XBOX One/Series S and XBOX One/Series S and XBOX One/Series S and XBOX One/Series S and XBOX One/Series S