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Wellington Phoenix will welcome Sydney to Eden Park in the A-League on Friday.
The hosts suffered their first league defeat of the year last week, falling to a 1-0 away loss to Melbourne City. They dropped to second place in the league standings following that loss, though, they trail the Central Coast Mariners only on goal difference, with both teams having 40 points from 21 games.
The visitors are unbeaten in their last eight league games, with four wins and four draws. They were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Brisbane Roar last week. Jake Girdwood-Reich was sent off in the 25th minute, so they had to play the final three-quarters of the match with 10 men.
Róbert Mak broke the deadlock in the 64th minute, and Henry Hore equalized for Roar just three minutes later. They are in fifth place in the league standings, with 31 points from 20 games.
Wellington Phoenix vs Sydney Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have locked horns 50 times in all competitions thus far. The visitors have the upper hand in these meetings with 27 wins. The hosts have 17 wins to their name, and six games have ended in draws.
- The visitors have the joint-best attacking record in the league this season, scoring 38 goals in 20 games. The hosts, on the other hand, have the joint-best defensive record, conceding 22 goals in 21 games.
- Wellington Phoenix have just one win in their last 12 home meetings against the visitors, with that win coming at home last season.
- Sydney registered a 3-1 home win in the reverse fixture in December, their first win against the hosts after three games.
- Three of the last four meetings between the two teams have produced under 2.5 goals, with two clean sheets for the hosts.
Wellington Phoenix vs Sydney Prediction
The Yellow Army suffered their first loss in 2024 last week, failing to score for the third time in six games. Interestingly, it was their first defeat in the A-League since a 3-1 loss to Sydney in December.
They are unbeaten in their last five home games in the league, recording three wins while keeping three clean sheets, and will look to build on that form. Nonetheless, they have just one win in their last 12 home meetings against the visitors, which is cause for concern.
The Sky Blues are unbeaten in their last eight league outings and have suffered just one loss in their last 12 games. They are unbeaten in their last four away games, recording two wins on the trot and scoring 10 goals in that period. Interestingly, they have not kept a clean sheet in away games this season.
Ufuk Talay will be without midfielder Jake Girdwood-Reich who was shown a straight red card last week. Jack Rodwell is back from an illness and should start from the bench.
The hosts suffered a narrow loss last week, failing to score for the second time in three games. The visitors are on a four-game unbeaten run in their travels and will look to build on that form.
Nonetheless, considering the current form of the two teams and their goalscoring records, a low-scoring draw is likely to ensue.
Prediction: Wellington Phoenix 1-1 Sydney
Wellington Phoenix vs Sydney Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Fábio Gomes to score or assist any time - Yes
