It may be Boxing Day but there will be no chance to relax for Adelaide United and Western Sydney Wanderers when they meet in the final match of Hyundai A-League Round 9 on Wednesday evening.
The match at Coopers Stadium is shaping as a crucial one with both sides in desperate need for a victory after a rough stretch of results.
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The Reds are coming off back-to-back losses and after a bright start to the season now find themselves in danger of dropping out of the top six all together if they suffer a heavy defeat against the Wanderers.
Two 2-0 defeats at the hands of the Melbourne clubs – Victory and City – will have Marco Kurz scratching his head although the Wanderers are also looking to bounce back after a derby defeat themselves in Round 8 to Sydney FC.
However, the Wanderers can take heart from a couple of strong performances on the road this season, securing a 1-1 draw in Perth and a dominant 3-0 win in Wellington.
There are happy memories for both sides in this fixture, Western Sydney claiming their biggest-ever win back in 2012 when they demolished the Reds 6-1 while Adelaide fans will need no reminder of their side’s 3-1 triumph against the Wanderers in the 2015/16 Grand Final.
Key Opta stats
- Adelaide United have lost just one of their last 10 games against Western Sydney Wanderers (W3, D6), and are undefeated in their last five games against them (W2, D3).
- Adelaide United have been kept goalless in their last two games heading into this fixture; the last time they went longer without scoring a goal was a three-game span from December 2016 to January 2017.
- Brendan Hamill (Western Sydney Wanderers) is set to play his 100th A-League game; Adelaide United are one of only three teams (Sydney FC, Wellington Phoenix) against whom Hamill has scored an A-League goal.
Ins and outs
Squads to be named on Boxing Day.
How to watch
Tune in to FOX SPORTS 505 from 7:30pm AEDT or watch through the MyFootball Live App.
