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Wellington Phoenix will square off against Newcastle Jets in an A-League fixture at the Sky Stadium on Friday (March 4).
The hosts are coming off a 1-1 draw at Central Coast Mariners last weekend. James McGarry put Central Coast ahead in the 12th minute before Oskar Zawada levelled matters for the Phoenix in the fourth minute of injury time.
Newcastle, meanwhile, suffered a 3-1 defeat against Western United at home. Noah Botic scored a first-half brace to give Western a two-goal lead, while Tongo Doumbia made sure of the result after Beka Mikeltadze had halved the deficit in the 33rd minute.
The defeat saw Newcastly drop to seventh in the standings, having garnered 24 points from 18 games. Wellington, meanwhile, are fifth with 25 points to show for their efforts after 18 outings.
Wellington Phoenix vs Newcastle Jets Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two sides have clashed on 43 previous occasions, with Wellington leading 22-15.
- Their most recent meeting in October 2022 saw Newcastle claim a 3-1 home win.
- Their last five head-to-head games at Wellington have had goals at both ends and also produced at least three goals.
- Four of Newcastle's last five league games have produced at least three goals.
- Wellington have managed just one win from their last five league games.
- Newcastle's defeat to Western United snapped their six-game unbeaten streak in the league.
- Wellington form guide: D-W-L-L-D; Newcastle form guide: L-W-W-D-W
Wellington Phoenix vs Newcastle Jets Prediction
Just one point separates the two sides in the standings, with Wellington narrowly holding on to their playoff spot. The hosts have not been at their best in recent weeks, with just one win in their last five league games.
Newcastle, meanwhile, saw their six-game unbeaten run come to an end last week and will be eager to bounce back to winning ways. A win for them will see them usurp their hosts and move into the playoff places.
Games between the two sides tend to be high-scoring affairs, especially ones hosted by Wellington. The trend should continue in a high-scoring stalemate.
Prediction: Wellington Phoenix 2-2 Newcastle Jets
Wellington Phoenix vs Newcastle Jets Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 4 - Both teams to score over 1.5 goals
