The Western Sydney Wanderers return to Wanderers Football Park on Saturday afternoon as they host Sydney Olympic in Round 22 of the NPL NSW Men’s competition.
The Red & Black enter the clash full of confidence after producing a remarkable late comeback against Manly United last weekend. Trailing by two goals with just over 20 minutes remaining, the Wanderers refused to give in, with Lachlan Sattout reducing the deficit before Awan Lual struck in stoppage time to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw.
The result showcased the character within the Wanderers squad, who have continued to fight until the final whistle throughout the campaign. With the season entering its final stretch, they’ll be looking to turn that resilience into three points against an in-form Sydney Olympic outfit.
Olympic make the trip to Western Sydney after claiming an impressive 2-1 victory over St George FC last weekend. Taye Armenakas proved influential in that result, helping his side secure another important win as they continue their push up the ladder.
The Wanderers will know they’ll need to be at their best against a side that has shown quality going forward, but they’ll also take confidence from their own attacking displays in recent weeks. Lual’s two-goal performance against Manly highlighted the striker’s growing confidence in front of goal, while the creativity of Johnny Pavlovic, Alaat Abdul-Rahman and Sattout has continued to trouble opposition defences.
Home form could also play an important role, the Red and Black will be eager to produce another strong performance and continue building momentum as the race towards the end of the season intensifies.
The Key Decider: The Midfield Battle
Sydney Olympic are at their most dangerous when they’re able to dictate possession and create opportunities through the likes of Armenakas, while the Wanderers have enjoyed success by winning the ball high up the pitch and transitioning quickly into attack.
If the Red & Black can maintain the intensity that led to their opening goal against Manly and continue to press aggressively through the middle of the park, they’ll give themselves every opportunity to create chances and keep Olympic on the back foot.
With both sides chasing valuable points, Saturday afternoon promises to be another entertaining contest in the NPL NSW Men’s competition.
NPL NSW Round 22
Western Sydney Wanderers FC v Sydney Olympic FC
Saturday 4th July, 3:00PM
Wanderers Football Park
