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Third-placed Western Sydney Wanderers welcome second-placed Central Coast Mariners to the CommBank Stadium in the A-League on Saturday (March 4).
The hosts returned to winning ways after two games with an impressive 4-0 home win over Macarthur at the weekend. Morgan Schneiderlin scored his first goal for the club from the spot before Brandon Borrello, Romain Amalfitano and Calem Nieuwenhof also got on the scoresheet.
Central Coast, meanwhile, are unbeaten in three league outings and played out their second consecutive draw last time around. They drew 1-1 with Wellington Phoenix, with Oskar Zawada scoring the equaliser in injury time for Wellington. Brian Kaltack and Moresche were sent off in the second half and will serve one-match bans.
Both teams have 28 points and are level with fourth-placed Adelaide United. The winner of this game will go second.
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Central Coast Mariners Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have met 32 times, with all the meetings taking place in the A-League, with Sydney leading 14-8.
- Central Coast are unbeaten in five games against Sydney. Four games have produced over 2.5 goals, with the visitors scoring at least twice.
- Three of their last five meetings have ended 2-2, including the reverse fixture in January.
- The hosts have the second-best attacking record in the A-League this season, scoring 36 goals in 18 games. They have scored four goals in their last two league games.
- The Mariners have the best defensive record in the league this season, conceding 17 goals in 18 games.
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Central Coast Mariners Prediction
While Sydney have a better record against Central Coast, they are winless in their last five games. They have also not won at home against the Mariners since 2019.
Both teams have just three wins in 2023 but have enjoyed a prolific run in recent games. Sydney have scored 11, while Central Coast have netted nine times in their last five games, so a high-scoring draw could ensue.
Prediction: Sydney 2-2 Central Coast
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Central Coast Mariners Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the first half - Yes
Tip 4: Jason Cummings to score or assist any time - Yes
