David Flower
Dailysports's expert
Adelaide United
Wellington Phoenix
The 27th round of the Australian Championship kicks off at the Coopers Stadium, where local side Adelaide United will host Wellington Phoenix. I suggest betting on goals in this encounter with a good odds.
Match preview
Something inexplicable is happening with Adelaide. Not long ago, Carl Veart's team was confidently at the top of the table and even managed to lead the standings. But after a victory over Melbourne City in early February (1-0), something seemed to click — and a free fall began. United has not been able to recover since, and a 1-4 fiasco against Perth in the last round is a worrying sign. Losing so meekly to one of the outsiders is not just a slump, it's a concrete knockdown.
Without a win in 8 matches in a row, yet only one point separates Adelaide from the coveted top six. Ahead are quite manageable opponents, but the current state of the team can't be explained by football reasons alone. It seems the crisis has affected more than just the playing aspect.
Wellington Phoenix has been playing without any particular tournament motivation for a long time. After a bright last season, when the New Zealanders finished second in the regular season, this championship has become a blatant disappointment. The team is languishing in 11th place, with only 6 wins all season.
One of the few bright moments happened recently — an away victory over Newcastle (2-1), but it was immediately followed by another defeat. Despite a worthy battle with Melbourne Victory, class decided everything — a 2-3 loss. Finding positives in Phoenix's play is not easy. The team is weak both in terms of squad and organization of play. The only thing Wellington can rely on is character and commitment. But mere desire at this level, unfortunately, is not enough.
Probable lineups
- Adelaide United: Warland, Pierias, Elsey, Kikiannis, Lopez, Clough, Alagich, Moak, Yull, Goodwin, Folami.
- Wellington Phoenix: Oluwayemi, Payper, Wootton, Hughes, Payne, Rufer, Sheridan, Sutton, Isige, Nagasawa, Barbarouses.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Adelaide defeated the opponent in the first round with a score of 2-1 away
- The "both teams to score" bet won in 4 out of the last 5 matches
- The "total over 2.5" bet won in 4 out of the last 5 encounters
Prediction
Bookmakers favor Adelaide in this match, offering odds of 1.63 for a home win. It's worth noting that Adelaide currently concedes the most in the championship, so a goal from the visitors is to be expected. Our bet is "total over 3.5" at 1.89.
