Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the fixtures of the 29th round of the Australian Championship will be played on Saturday at Ironbark Fields, where the local side Western United will host Auckland. I'm backing a bet on goals in this clash, with solid chances for success.
Match preview
Western United have impressed with their results towards the end of the season, allowing the team to climb to third place in the A-League table. If it weren’t for two recent defeats to WS Wanderers (0-2) and Brisbane Roar (1-2), Western United could have easily finished in second place.
Currently, John Aloisi’s team sits in third, trailing Melbourne City by just one point. In their most recent outing, the club hosted Sydney FC and secured a 1-0 victory. It's also worth noting that Western United have won their last four home matches.
As for Auckland, the team has won the regular season in their very first A-League campaign. At the moment, the New Zealand side has 53 points and leads their nearest rival, Melbourne City, by a commanding eight points.
In the last round, Auckland hosted bottom side Perth Glory and clinched a narrow 1-0 win. That victory was their second in a row and third in the last five rounds. Auckland remain unbeaten in 14 consecutive A-League matches, picking up eight wins along the way. On the road this season, Auckland have lost just once, recording seven wins from 12 away games.
Probable lineups
- Western United: Sutton - Shamoun, Leonard, Imai, Russell - Grimaldi, Bozhinovski, Lawton, Danzaki - Laval, Ibusuki
- Auckland: Poulsen - Sakai, Hull, Pijnaker, De Vries - Rogerson, Verstraten, Gallegos, Francois - Mata, May
Match facts and head-to-head
- The teams have met twice this season, each claiming an away win
- Neither match saw both teams score
- The "Both teams to score" bet landed in six of Auckland’s last ten matches
Prediction
The bookmakers slightly favour the home team in this one, offering odds of 1.98 for a Western United win. We believe the motivated hosts have the edge here, but it’s unlikely the league leaders will go down without a fight. Our pick: "Total over 2.5" at odds of 1.60.
