Head coach Alen Stajcic has named his extended squad for Friday night’s clash against Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium.
The Wanderers head to Adelaide for their final match of 2024, aiming to break back into the Top Six.
Following their dominant 4-1 win over Wellington last weekend, where they scored just 47 seconds in, the team briefly held sixth place before Macarthur’s draw on Monday pushed them to seventh.
However, with a game in hand over their local rivals, the Wanderers remain in contention and hope to extend their unbeaten streak at Coopers Stadium.
Adelaide has been a familiar opponent this season, with two closely fought encounters already in league and cup play.
The Reds edged the Wanderers 2-1 in extra time in the Australia Cup and held off a late fightback for a 3-2 win in round two. Despite these results, the Wanderers have been steadily improving, as shown in their impressive performance against Wellington.
Brandon Borrello’s two assists and a slew of chances built on his strong form, while Bozhidar Kraev scored his second goal of the season.
The head-to-head history between the sides remains tight, with Adelaide edging ahead with 13 wins to the Wanderers’ 12.
Last season, the Wanderers completed a double over Adelaide, including a 2-1 victory at Coopers Stadium where Nicolas Milanovic found the net.
Milanovic, now tied as the league’s top scorer with five goals, will look to rediscover his scoring touch alongside Borrello, who has eight combined goals and assists and will be keen to make an impact in his hometown.
Western Sydney Wanderers FC: 2.Gabriel CLEUR, 4.Alex BONETIG, 5.Dylan SCICLUNA, 7.Zac SAPSFORD, 9.Marcus ANTONSSON, 10.Alex BADOLATO, 12.Ben HOLLIDAY, 13.Dean PELEKANOS, 14.Nicolas MILANOVIC, 18.Oscar PRIESTMAN, 19. Jack CLISBY, 20.Lawrence THOMAS (GK), 21.Aydan HAMMONG, 22.Anthony PANTAZOPOULOS, 23.Bozhidar KRAEV, 25.Josh BRILLANTE, 26.Brandon BORRELLO, 27.James TEMELKOVSKI, 30.Jordan HOLMES (GK), 64.Juan MATA.
Ins: 10.Alex BADOLATO (promoted), 12.Ben HOLLIDAY (promoted)
Outs: N/A
Unavailable: 8.Jeong TAE-WOOK (injured), 31.Aidan SIMMONS (injured)
