Newcastle Jets will play host to Brisbane Roar on Friday, May 21, at McDonald Jones Stadium, where they haven’t looked as solid this season. With only one win in 12 games, their home stadium is not nearly as strong of a fortress it was in 2020, but can the Jets change that against the fourth-best travelers in A-League?
Newcastle Jets vs Brisbane Roar
When: Friday, May 21 – 19:05 AEST
Where: McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Weather: Partly cloudy, 17°C
Referee: Daniel Elder
Newcastle Jets are at the very bottom of the A-League table with just 14 points after 22 rounds. Their next opponent are sitting in sixth, which suggests what to expect from this clash.
However, even though Brisbane Roar are favoured to win, oddsmakers offer (surprisingly) long odds. They’re currently somewhere in the ballpark of 2.00, which seems strange. To learn why that is the case, keep reading!
Newcastle Jets (Used To) Love Playing Home
Last season, Newcastle Jets’ home record was 6-4-3. They finished the season with four straight wins on home turf and were the fifth-best home team in the league.
Unfortunately, this year, they haven’t been playing too well at their stadium – their home record in the 2020-21 season shows only one win, two draws and eight losses (1-2-8).
On a more positive note, the Jets picked up home points against some of the toughest teams in the league. They drew 1-1 with Perth Glory in mid-April and added another 1-1 draw with the current A-League second-placed team Sydney FC.
Even more impressive is that their only home victory of the season came against the current A-League frontrunners Melbourne City. They edged out City with 1-0 in February, handing them their third of five season losses.
The jets’ big issue is their poor scoring. They have managed only 18 goals in 22 games, six of which came via former Brisbane Roar striker Roy O’Donovan. Their second-best scorer is Yuel Valentino, with only three goals to his name in 22 starts.
Brisbane Roar Determined to Snap Out from a Bad Streak
Brisbane Roar enter this match winless in their last three. They have suffered a 2-3 loss to Melbourne City at AAMI Park, to which they added a goalless draw with the Central Coast Mariners (0-0) and a 0-1 loss against Adelaide United.
Although not great results, it’s hard to be overly critical of Roar’s showings, considering they had to face some formidable opponents. Still, they mustn’t let this kind of run continue for much longer.
Brisbane Roar need to get back on the winning track if they wish to stay in the top 6, which would earn them a ticket to the quarterfinals of the A-League Playoffs.
The Roar have 31 points, with four more games left to play before the end of the regular season. The issue is that four teams could leapfrog them by then – WS Wanderers (31 pts), Perth Glory (31 pts), Wellington Phoenix (28 pts), and Western United (28 pts).
On a more positive note, all those teams have played one game more than Brisbane Roar. What this means is that with a win against Newcastle Jets, Roar would make one giant leap towards their season goal.
In fact, a win tonight would even put them in the race for a second-place finish, leading straight to the semi-final of the A-League Playoffs. Obviously, there’s plenty of motivation for Brisbane Roar to win.
Newcastle Jets vs Brisbane Roar Betting Picks
Brisbane Roar are clearly the better team of the two and should also be highly motivated to grab all three points. Unlike Jets, who essentially have nothing left to fight for but to spoil other teams’ plans.
Last time out, these two sides parted ways with a 0-0 draw. Before that Roar, won three of the previous four head-to-head meetings (3-1-0). And if the H2H record isn’t enough to show how this game will go, the home (1-11) – away (5-11) record of these two sides should.
Prediction: Brisbane Roar to win
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