14 Dec Round 8 A-League preview

Round 8 of the A-League is upon us with some fascinating fixtures to look forward to in what should be another action-packed weekend of football.

Here’s a preview of this weekend’s A-League matches:

Brisbane Roar v Melbourne Victory
Friday December 14th, Suncorp Stadium, 7:50pm AEDST

Brisbane Roar face the daunting prospect of stopping a red-hot Melbourne Victory side who are on a five-game winning streak.

The Victory swept aside Adelaide United last week and will have been encouraged by the performance of high-profile signing Ola Toivonen who netted his second goal of the campaign.

Back-to-back defeats have halted the Roar’s progress since their one and only win against Melbourne City in late November.

It’s hard to go past Kevin Muscat’s men when they’re in this sort of form.

Tip: Brisbane Roar 1 Melbourne Victory 2

Wellington Phoenix v Central Coast Mariners
Saturday December 15th, Westpac Stadium, 5:35pm AEDST

Central Coast travel to Wellington this weekend in desperate need of a win to kickstart their floundering campaign.

The Mariners meet a Phoenix side who are on cloud nine after their stunning 3-1 away win over title contenders Sydney FC.

Mark Ruden’s side will be eager to build on their superb performance against the Sky Blues with a home win to stay within touching distance of the top-six.

Tip: Wellington 2 Central Coast 1

Western Sydney Wanderers v Sydney FC
Saturday December 15th, ANZ Stadium, 7:50pm AEDST

Western Sydney will look to put another dent in Sydney’s title hopes when the two lock horns in this season’s second edition of the Sydney Derby.

After securing a much-needed 2-0 win over Central Coast, the Wanderers head into the clash in better form compared to the Sky Blues who slipped to a shock 3-1 home defeat to Wellington.

Steve Corica’s men have won the last three derby encounters against their rivals, but could Markus Babbel mastermind a drought-breaking triumph to secure local bragging rights?

Tip: Western Sydney 2 Sydney FC 2

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Newcastle Jets v Perth Glory
Saturday December 16th, McDonald Jones Stadium, 5:00pm AEDST

Perth maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign with a solid 1-0 over Melbourne City, while Newcastle returned to the winners circle with a commanding 2-0 victory over Brisbane.

The Glory will be hoping to pocket another three points to maintain their position at the summit of the A-League table, with Melbourne Victory continuing to snap at their heels.

It could be a tricky afternoon for Tony Popovic’s charges, depending on which Jets side turns up on the day.

Tip: Newcastle 1 Perth 1

Adelaide United v Melbourne City
Sunday December 16th, Coopers Stadium, 7:00pm AEDST

Adelaide will be searching for an immediate response following their defeat to Melbourne Victory last outing.

A clinical edge in the final third will be on United’s agenda, as they had their chances against the Victory but weren’t able to capitalise.

Melbourne City were edged out against Perth last week but will be alarmed by their lack of creativity and cutting edge in attack.

Possessing a strong record at home against City, Marco Kurz’s troops will be confident in bouncing back and solidifying their spot in the top-four.

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