The Wanderers will be out to create history on Saturday at Bankwest Stadium by becoming the first team to record a much valued clean sweep in the Sydney Derby.
Having already won the first two Sydney Derbies of the season, the Red & Black will be determined to put another one over their crosstown rivals and inflict a third loss on the defending champions and competition leaders.
In the eight seasons since the Wanderers joined the Hyundai A-League, neither club has managed to win all three Derbies.
But, following their two 1-0 victories in the first and second Derbies, Jean-Paul de Marigny’s team are now within 90 minutes of a special achievement – one that could also fire them into the top six for the first time since the end of round nine back on 7 December.
The Wanderers will go into the game full of confidence having beaten Sydney on their home turf on 28 February, thanks to a Mitchell Duke headed goal late in the game. It was the second time this season the Wanderers captain had scored the winner against them.
The Red & Black are coming off an unlucky 1-1 draw away to Melbourne City last week after dominating the second half and going close to getting the match-winner midway through the second half only to be denied by an incredible last-ditch clearance off the line.
With four of their last six games at home at Bankwest Stadium, the Wanderers are poised to make a concerted charge towards the Finals.
With 25 points to their credit, they sit just two points off sixth-placed Western United and seventh-placed Adelaide United.
Adelaide have the bye this weekend while Western United face a difficult away trip to Perth Glory.
The Red & Black will be strengthened by the return of defender Daniel Georgievski, who has served his two-week suspension, while Bruce Kamau is also in line for a return after being sidelined for several weeks with an injury.
They will add to the considerable depth within the squad that has been shown by the performances of the likes of Tate Russell, Jarrod Carluccio, who was given his A-League starting debut last week and Noah Pagden, who came on as a substitute for his Hyundai A-League debut.
Russell was a standout last week, scoring his first goal for the club and generally performing well while Carluccio was cool, calm and collected and did a fantastic job at left-back.
As per the instruction from the Hyundai A-League, the game will be played behind closed doors.
