Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners prediction, preview, team news and more

The A-League is back in action with another round of matches this weekend as Central Coast Mariners take on Wellington Phoenix on Sunday. Both teams have been inconsistent this season and will need to step up in this fixture.

Central Coast Mariners are in eighth place in the A-League standings and have not been at their best this season. The Mariners held Western Sydney Wanderers to a 2-2 draw in their previous game and will need to take it up a notch in this match.

Wellington Phoenix, on the other hand, are in fifth place in the league table at the moment and have been fairly impressive this season. The New Zealand-based outfit edged Perth Glory to a 1-0 victory last week and will be confident ahead of this fixture.

Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners Head-to-Head

Wellington Phoenix have a good record against Central Coast Mariners and have won 19 out of 43 matches played between the two teams. Central Coast Mariners have managed 17 victories against Wellington Phoenix and will look to cut the deficit in this match.

The previous meeting between the two teams took place earlier this month and ended in a 5-0 victory for Central Coast Mariners. Wellington Phoenix were poor on the day and will need to bounce back this weekend.

Wellington Phoenix form guide in the A-League: W-W-L-L-W

Central Coast Mariners form guide in the A-League: D-L-W-D-W

Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners Team News

Wellington Phoenix

Clayton Lewis picked up an injury while on international duty and is unlikely to be risked in this fixture. Reno Piscopo has recovered from his injury and will be available for selection.

Injured: Oskar van Hattum, Alex Rufer, Clayton Lewis

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

Central Coast Mariners

Central Coast Mariners also have no discernible fitness issues at the moment and will need to field their strongest team this weekend. Lewis Miller is still serving a suspension and will be unavailable for selection.

Injured: None

Doubtful: None

Suspended: Lewis Miller

Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners Predicted XI

Wellington Phoenix Predicted XI (4-4-2): Alex Paulsen; Sam Sutton, Joshua Laws, Tim Payne, Scott Wootton; Nicholas Pennington, Louis Fenton, Walter Sandoval, Jaushua Sotirio; Ben Waine, David Ball

Central Coast Mariners Predicted XI (4-4-2): Mark Birighitti; Jacob Farrell, Kye Rowles, Dan Hall, Storm Roux; Max Balard, Oliver Bozanic, Beni N'Kololo, Josh Nisbet; Marco Urena, Jason Cumming

Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners Prediction

Central Coast Mariners have been inconsistent over the past month but have managed to score seven goals in their last three games. The Mariners can pack a punch on their day but will need a shot in the arm in the coming weeks.

Wellington Phoenix have stepped up admirably this season but have had their share of problems against the Mariners in the past. Both teams are on an even footing at the moment and could play out a draw this weekend.

Prediction: Wellington Phoenix 2-2 Central Coast Mariners

About the author

Aditya is a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda, covering previews, news, post-match articles and live blogs for 5 years. During his time here, he has had the privilege of covering a press meeting during the collaboration between his favorite club Bengaluru FC and Sevilla, where he got a chance to interact with Sevilla president Jose Castro and explore the grassroots development in his city.

Aditya started following the sport after being dazzled by Ronaldinho’s silky feet at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He is a Barcelona fan and unsurprisingly, his favorite manager and players are Pep Guardiola and Andres Iniesta respectively. He admires the latter for his superhuman talent and his off-pitch demeanor, and his winning goal in Spain’s 2010 World Cup final win over the Netherlands left a lasting impact on Aditya.

The match-preview specialist believes that his ongoing five-year stint at Sportskeeda has given him the ability to identify the distinct line between emotional and fact-based articles, which separates him from other journalists. For him, fact-checking is the most integral part of his writing process and he only relies on authentic platforms for data.

Aditya is a semi-professional pianist and likes to participate in concerts and recitals when not immersed in football.

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Edited by Aditya Hosangadi

Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners prediction, preview, team news and more | A-League 2021-22