WS Wanderers travel to Coopers Stadium on Thursday, June 3, for their final match of the season, where they’ll take on Adelaide United. This match holds no value for WS Wanderers, who are already out of the race for the playoffs, but the story is entirely different for the hosts.
Adelaide United vs WS Wanderers
When: Thursday, June 3 – 19:35 AEST
Where: Coopers Stadium in Adelaide, South Australia
Weather: Showers, 13°C
This marks the final match of the A-League regular season for both Adelaide United and WS Wanderers. Will either of the two play in the postseason? WS Wanderers surely not, whereas Adelaide United still have a decent chance to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
Adelaide are currently in sixth, which is the last position leading into the postseason. The trouble is that Wellington Phoenix are only three points behind them.
If Adelaide United lose to WS Wanderers and Wellington Phoenix beat Macarthur FC (who have already secured a place in the playoffs), the two will get on level points. In such an instance, the tiebreaker rule of the A-League dictates that the team with a better score difference receives the advantage.
Unfortunately for Adelaide United, Wellington Phoenix have a much better goal difference. What this means is that losing to WS Wanderers is not an option for them. The trouble is that Adelaide United haven’t been too great lately.
Adelaide United Determined to End Their (Relatively) Poor Run
Adelaide United are coming off a disappointing 1-4 defeat to Sydney FC at home in the previous round. While Sydney FC are one of the best teams in Australia, you can’t deny that Adelaide United played very poorly that day.
They had only nine goal attempts, three of which were actually aimed at the opponents’ goal (they also hit the woodwork once). Meanwhile, four of the eight Sydney FC shots on goal went in.
Conceding so many goals is concerning, especially knowing that Adelaide’s attack hasn’t been too fruitful lately. They haven’t scored more than a goal per game in the past eight rounds. What’s more, they went goalless twice during that stretch.
Another cause of concern is that their head-to-head record against WS Wanderers isn’t that good. They won only one of their previous five outings, losing three and drawing one along the way.
No Pressure on WS Wanderers (And They Like It!)
WS Wanderers’ hopes of getting to the Playoffs are gone. No matter what happens in the final round of the A-League, their season ends this week. Nevertheless, Wanderers seem not to care much about that, as evident from their performance from the previous round.
Carl Robinson’s men beat Brisbane Roar on Sunday 2-0 (with another goal disallowed for offside). Even though there was still a chance for WS Wanderers to get to the Playoffs at the time, Brisbane Roar needed points more.
WS Wanderers played stress-free attacking football, which proved to be the key to getting points. Actually, when it comes to their style of play, Wanderers can be described as a very offensive-minded team this entire season.
WS Wanderers scored a total of 43 goals in 25 games – only the table leaders Melbourne City have scored more (55). Their top goalscorer is Bruce Kamau, with nine goals from 22 starts, making him the seventh-best scorer in the A-League.
Adelaide United vs WS Wanderers Betting Picks
WS Wanderers have nothing to lose, so they can play the style of football they prefer. Adelaide United, on the other hand, are under a lot of pressure. They need to win some points in this game, as they could end up without a spot in the Playoffs.
As they’ve shown numerous times this season, pressure can get to them. Sure, they might not lose, but winning doesn’t seem something that Adelaide United can do with ease.
Prediction: WS Wanderers +0.50 Asian Handicap
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