The Wanderers have a second home game in a row as they host Wellington Phoenix in Sunday evening A-League Men action.
Get your tickets to the match day here.
The Wanderers have four points from the last six available after a solid away win over Melbourne City, but they were frustrated not to get all three points in their match against Brisbane last Saturday.
Brandon Borrello had his best game of the season so far as he scored twice in the first half, including once with a wonderful knuckleball free-kick from range.
However an unfortunate own goal from Gabriel Cleur and a goal on the break from Thomas Waddingham locked the scores at 2-2 for the majority of the game, and defensive and conservative tactics utilised by the Roar meant the Wanderers were unable to find a winner.
It means the Wanderers were unable to climb into the top six or to leapfrog their opponents for this weekend, who come into the match off a late home defeat against Macarthur.
Kosta Barrbarouses equalised for the Phoenix just before half-time after Valere Germain followed up after missing a penalty in the 7th minute.
They were undone by a goal from former Wanderers youth product Dean Bosnjak, as he fired a shot into the roof of the net to hand Wellington their second defeat in a row.
After stunning the league last year by finishing second in the regular season, Giancarlo Italiano’s side have been more inconsistent, losing three and winning three games to sit just inside the top six.
To add to their frustration, they have lost twice to their new rivals Auckland FC, including in the first ever New Zealand Derby at home where two late Jake Brimmer goals consigned them to defeat.
They have been impacted by two big departures in striker Oskar Zawada and goalkeeper Alex Paulsen, who signed for Premier League side Bournemouth before controversially joining Auckland on loan.
They did sign the popular Marco Rojas, who returns to the club 13 years after making his debut for them in 2011, and Paulo Retre.
The departure of Zawada has hit Wellington particularly hard, as they have only scored nine goals so far this season, in the bottom half of the table in that department.
Their defence has been stout, having the third best in the league with just seven goals conceded, but the Wanderers’ good attack will put that to the test this weekend.
Borrello returning to form is a big boost for the Red and Black, with his combination with Nicolas Milanovic being hugely important to their fortunes.
Bozhidar Kraev also comes up against his old club for the first time after crossing the Tasman in the offseason.
The Wanderers are looking to reverse a disappointing recent record against the Phoenix, in which they failed to win in their two meetings last season.
They met in the opening round at CommBank Stadium, where the Wanderers dominated in attack but couldn’t overcome a stout Wellington defence.
It was a similar story at Sky Stadium at the end of 2023, where two late Phoenix goals sunk the Wanderers, who were desperately unlucky not to get at least a point.
A win for the Red and Black this weekend would see them go above Wellington in the table and would give them a good chance of being in the top six on Christmas Day.
A victory, therefore, would be a wonderful present for players, staff, and fans to have.
