MX23RW : Thursday, November 21 17:39:18| >> :600:49510053:49510053:
[monks data]
Western United
Australian A-League | Gameweek 11
May 15, 2021 at 5.35am UK
GMHBA Stadium
Sydney FC

Western Utd
0 - 1
Sydney FC


Uskok (8'), Sanchez (86')
FT(HT: 0-0)
le Fondre (76' pen.)
McGowan (90+6')

Preview: Western United vs. Sydney FC - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Australian A-League clash between Western United and Sydney FC, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Western United and Sydney FC will be looking to return to winning ways in the A-League when they square off at AAMI Park on Saturday.

The hosts were on the receiving end of a 3-0 loss against Perth Glory last time out, while the visitors head into this clash off the back of a 1-1 draw with Newcastle Jets.


Match preview

Sydney FC players pictured in November 2020© Reuters

Western United failed to end their winless run on Wednesday as they fell to another heavy defeat, losing 3-0 to Perth Glory at HBF Park.

Prior to that, Mark Rudan's men suffered two straight losses, including a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Western Sydney Wanderers last Saturday.

While Western United were in full control for most of the game, they lacked finishing in front of goal, and this came back to haunt them as Carl Robinson's side cruised to a comfortable victory.

They have now picked up just one point from their most recent four games, and this poor form has seen them drop to eighth in the A-League table, three points behind Brisbane Roar in the final playoff place.

Sydney, meanwhile, failed to recover from their painful 3-2 loss to Western Sydney Wanderers as they played out a 1-1 draw with Newcastle Jets last time out.

After falling one goal behind through Roy O'Donovan's 59th-minute penalty, the Sky Blues were rewarded for their constant probing as Nigel Boogaard scored an own goal to restore parity.​

Despite the draw, Steve Corica's men leapfrogged Adelaide United and moved into third place in the log following the Reds' defeat to Melbourne City.

Having claimed a 2-0 win back in March's reverse fixture, Sydney will now aim to do the league double over Saturday's hosts and strengthen their position in the table.

Western United Australian A-League form:
  • D
  • W
  • D
  • L
  • L
  • L

Sydney FC Australian A-League form:
  • D
  • D
  • D
  • W
  • L
  • D


Team News

Sydney FC head coach Steve Corica pictured in December 2020© Reuters

Socceroo midfielder Joshua Risdon is still unavailable for selection as he remains sidelined with a foot problem sustained in the 2-0 win over Newcastle Jets back in April.

He is joined on the treatment table by 19-year-old defender Dalibor Markovic, who is ruled out with a calf injury.

The visitors will once again take to the pitch without Michael Zullo, whose season was brought to an abrupt end after he picked up a lengthy calf injury.

Twenty-four-year-old midfielder Chris Zuvela remains out with a knee injury picked up against Wellington Phoenix back in February.

Brazilian striker Bobo, who is in fine goalscoring form having found the target four times in his last five outings, is one to watch out for as he leads the visitors' attack.

Western United possible starting lineup:
Scott; Imai, Durante, Uskok; Pierias, Duzel, Sanchez, Vujica; Wales, Berisha, Diamanti

Sydney FC possible starting lineup:
Redmayne; King, McGowan, Wilkinson, Grant; Brattan, Baumjohann, Ninkovic, Retre; Barbarouses, Bobo


SM words green background

We say: Western United 2-2 Sydney FC

While Western United have stumbled in recent weeks, they have the firepower needed to turn their fortunes around and grab the result. Similarly, the visitors also have a fine crop of players in their camp and so we predict an entertaining and high-scoring draw in this one.​



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data



ID:447340:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect7075:

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Sydney FC win with a probability of 47.76%. A win for Western United had a probability of 29.38% and a draw had a probability of 22.9%.

The most likely scoreline for a Sydney FC win was 1-2 with a probability of 9.3%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-1 (7.4%) and 0-2 (6.72%). The likeliest Western United win was 2-1 (7.09%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (10.24%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 7.4% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Sydney FC would win this match.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: Western Utd vs Sydney FC

Western United
20.0%
Draw
20.0%
Sydney FC
60.0%
25
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Carl Robinson, now in charge of Western Sydney Wanderers, pictured in 2017
Read Next:
Saturday's A-League predictions including Western Sydney vs. Western United
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!