Macarthur FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers – A-League Betting Preview and Prediction
Macarthur FC and Western Sydney Wanderers will clash on Saturday, February 6 at the Campbelltown Stadium for the second time this season and the first time since late December 2020 when the Bulls won 1:0. Here is our free betting preview and prediction for the match.
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Macarthur FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers
When: Saturday, February 6 at 19:10 AEDT
Where: Campbelltown Stadium
Weather: Cloudy, 24°C
Macarthur FC did not impress last weekend when they got stomped by Sydney FC 0:3, although the Bulls did not play as poorly as the final score would suggest. The new derby did not need long to get heated, with Mark Milligan picking up a yellow card only 21 minutes after the kick-off.
There was also a halftime delay which lasted for about an hour due to the torrential rain and a disallowed goal due to the Bulls’ offside in the 57th minute. Despite having a man advantage, Sydney did not find the back of the net until 66th, to which they added two more in 76th and 86th minute.
The Bulls ended the match with 41% ball possession and shot with 4/9. They also completed 82% of their passes, gave up eight fouls, as well as received three yellows and a red card.
Western Sydney Wanderers enter this match off a 1-1 stalemate against Newcastle Jets at Bankwest Stadium, where Wanderers locked in their eighth point of the season, which secures them a spot inside the top four. Wanderers opened the match with a goal in 36th via Bernie Ibini-Isei but were unable to build on the momentum and eventually conceded a late 80th-minute goal.
Wanderers had a 44% ball possession and shot the ball 3/13, which includes one shot hitting the woodwork. They also completed 81% of their passes, gave up 12 fouls and received four yellows.
These two teams met only once before, at the end of December when the Bulls won 1:0, with the only goal of the match coming via a deflected shot in the 72nd minute of the game. There was otherwise not a lot to separate the teams with the Bulls shooting 6/20, while Wanderers went 6/13. Macarthur also completed 83% of their passes, which was slightly better than Wanderers’ 78%.
Looking at this bout, we are liking the Bulls better. Even though they lost their most recent match, we have to consider they had to play with only 10 players and still held on well – up until the 66th-minute goal when it all went downhill for them. Regardless of the final scoreline, the Bulls were the better team that day which is quite an achievement considering they were playing the reigning champions.
That defeat will also serve as a morale booster for the Bulls, who now need to bounce back and get back to winning games. And what better team to face than Wanderers, who they have beat only a month ago?
We are not too high on Wanderers, largely because their defense is not nearly as solid as that of Sydney, who did a great job stopping Macarthur from scoring. In other words, if Bulls enter this match with the same fire they have shown against Sydney, this should be a fairly straight-forward win for them.
Prediction: Macarthur FC to win
