A-League tipping: Round 19 – Nix on thin ice, Wanderers face another derby test

It was a draw-fest in Round 18 of the A-League and neither the panel nor the fans managed to see it coming. Leader Mike Tuckerman did best with two correct selections and the returns elsewhere were paltry.

Just five matches are slated for this weekend and most look tricky propositions when it comes to predicting a winner.

Melbourne Victory hosts the Phoenix in what looks a ripper Friday night affair. Perth are on the road and headed to Melbourne City the following afternoon and Western United host ladder topping Auckland just an hour later.

Adelaide is at home to the Jets in the prime time Saturday night slot, whilst Western Sydney greet Macarthur in the final match of the round on Sunday afternoon. Good luck with your tips and be sure to enter them in the sheet below to have a say in the voice of the people.

Here is the way the battling panel sees all the action unfolding in Round 19.

Mike Tuckerman

Victory, City, Adelaide, Draw, Western Sydney

Melbourne Victory could hardly have been any worse in their dreadful 3-0 defeat away in Newcastle last time out. It’s been an inauspicious start in goal for new signing Mitch Langerak, and he’ll hope to turn in a better display against Wellington.

The Nix are unbeaten in their last four, but have drawn three of those games. Surely the hosts fire up and claim all three points?

Three draws, three wins, three losses. ‘Consistently inconsistent’ is perhaps the best way to describe Melbourne City under Aurelio Vidmar, whose team has been wracked by injuries this season.

They crushed Glory away in Perth earlier in the season, and while the latter have improved under David Zdrilic of late, they’ll come undone in their usual manner on the road.

Western United go into the round on the back of a couple of hard-fought 2-2 draws, although they’ll be annoyed to have let Macarthur back into the game last weekend. They stunned the Black Knights with a 4-0 win in Auckland earlier in the season, and the Kiwis will be out to avenge that loss. Ironbark’s a tough place to get a result, so I reckon this one finishes all square.

Auckland FC players celebrate (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

Adelaide United returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Melbourne City, and they’ll be stinging to try and make up the gap between themselves and Auckland at the top of the table.

They’ll be wary of a Jets side that pulled off an eye-catching win themselves, but the Novocastrians are rarely the best of travellers and should come unstuck in this one.

Western Sydney Wanderers will still be kicking themselves after letting Sydney FC off the hook in the derby. They’ll be out to avoid making the same mistake against another local rival in Macarthur, with the Bulls likely to be missing talisman Valere Germain through suspension. They’ve already beaten the Wanderers once at Parramatta, but the hosts should prevail here. 

Stuart Thomas

Victory, City, United, Adelaide, Macarthur

If you are still reading my tips, my only question is why? I cannot take a trick, yet have some confidence this week.

Melbourne Victory will bounce back with class and put four past the Phoenix, whose season is subsequently on the brink. City have too much class with players returning to be troubled by Perth on the road.

Western United will play the conditions better than the visitors and take all three points against Auckland on Saturday afternoon, with the ladder permutations utterly superb. Adelaide have too much at stake to lose to the Jets, despite the quality Newcastle showed against Victory last weekend and Macarthur will beat Western Sydney to confirm that the Wanderers are the third best team in Sydney.

David Shilovsky

Victory, City, Western United, Adelaide, Western Sydney

The Nix will be desperate when they face Melbourne Victory but the Vuck are also smarting from a late collapse against Newcastle last week. Could be a close one, but I’ll tip Victory.

Perth have shown some promise recently and City aren’t exactly in top form, still hard to tip the Glory though.

Western United beat Auckland 4-0 across the Tasman, so Steve Corica’s side will be hoping to avenge that heavy defeat. I think they’ve got a good chance.

With a faint finals flame flickering in the Hunter, they travel south to face Adelaide. Would be a nice story but the Reds should win.

Another test for the Wanderers, this time taking on the Bulls in an intriguing clash in Parramatta. At home, they should be good enough to seal the three points.

Andrew Prentice

Victory, City, Auckland, Adelaide, Western Sydney

As it turns out, had I gone with my plan of picking all draws last week, I’d have done OK. In a league that would have caused Nostradamus to rethink his career choices, Melbourne Victory were the epitome.

Losing 3-0 to the Jets with all the goals coming in a crazy extended injury time was about as expected as a sensible US tariff policy. While the Phoenix have gathered themselves in recent weeks, I think Victory will bounce back from last week and smother Wellington’s already porous attack. A win and a clean sheet for the home side.

City are not faring well in front of goal either. Perth’s mini-revival continues with a good result every other week. I feel this will be the “other” week. Despite City’s minimalist goal threat, they concede a goal a game – Perth ship more than double that. Damn lies and stats point to a City win.

Adam Taggart celebrates with teammates (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Western United gave Auckland a walloping last time they met. If anyone does revenge well, it’s Steve Corica, who will have stewed over that 0-4 home hammering in the lead-up to this clash.

Western are the season’s surprise packet. Sitting third and scoring for fun, their Achilles Heel has been at the other end of the park, where they do concede with the kind of regularity that would have coach John Aloisi reaching for the Quik-Eze.

Auckland ae hardly goal threats, but they often score just enough to put games to bed, with the very handy Guillermo May leading the line. A great 1 vs 3 clash in prospect, with the whiff of vengeance in the air. Auckland to stay top with the three points.

Adelaide’s 1-0 shutout of City last week was somewhat against the grain. 58 goals have been scored in Reds game this season. For those with a positive goal difference, only the Wanderers and Sydney FC have had more goals in their games.

The Reds face a Jets team that have quietly accumulated a three game unbeaten streak, and will fancy their chances in the city of churches. Zack Clough is looking back to his best though and has the game to pick an uncertain Jets defence apart.

And let’s not forget Adelaide’s attack will be led by Cooks Hill native Archie Goodwin, who scored his first A League goal as a Jet. The scriptwriters might have a field day.

The Wanderers and Bulls were involved in sensational games last week that didn’t deliver the desired result. Western Sydney’s 3-3 draw in front of a raucous 32,000 at the SFS was one of the best games in A League history. Coach Alen Stajcic might want to ask Macarthur to wear light blue because it seems to inspire youngster Zac Sapford to score by the bucket load.

What a night the Hakoah junior had last week. If he reproduces that form on Sunday, the Bulls will have a hard time keeping him quiet.

A win for the Bulls will shoot them clear of both Sydney rivals and into 3^rd place – a fantastic achievement for a young club. However, the Wanderers have it all on the line and I think will be desperate enough to grab the three points and draw level with their South-Western neighbours.

Texi Smith

Victory, City, United, Adelaide, Western Sydney

What an enigma Melbourne Victory have become. They were given a pasting by the Jets last weekend but boast a team full of stars. Phoenix failed to take care of Brisbane at home on their sacred public holiday and will be low on confidence.

The league’s most exciting player Zinedine Machach to set AAMI Park alight being given the free role, and Bruno Fornaroli will come off the bench to blow the score line out in a one-sided Friday night football feast.

Bruno Fornaroli is still having an impact on the A-League, despite his advanced years. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Melbourne City have a glorious opportunity to bounce back into the top half of the ladder, taking on the beleaguered Perth Glory. Sam Souprayen scores from a corner in the first minute and Glory look out of their depth.

After surviving until half-time with no further wounds inflicted, the new look Perth emerge from the sheds with vigour and deservedly equalise through Nicholas Pennington. A good result on the road is denied though, when Marco Tilio reminds us of his undoubted skill, dancing through three challenges to score in the final minute.

A proper hum-dinger of a game at Ironbark Fields as Western United continue their charge. Auckland FC fancy their chances of revenge for their humiliating first loss of the season, but Hiroshi Ibusuki has other ideas.

A Riku Danzaki penalty against the run of play has United ahead at the break, and they have to withstand heavy pressure from the visitors until Ibusuki powers home a header, and a late Noah Botic strike gives the score line an embellishment; this game a very close affair despite the comprehensive score.

The game of the round sees the prime-time slot filled with fireworks. Newcastle Jets were superb against Victory last weekend, but Adelaide United are hunting for top spot. Stefan Mauk plays a starring role in a first half dominated by the home team; Jay Barnett scoring and Noah James having the game of his life in the Jets’ goal.

The second half has smash-and-grab written all over it, Eli Adams hitting the post on the run and Clayton Taylor firing over from five yards, so it is a relief for the home fans when Archie Goodwin nutmegs his defender and smashes home a second with minutes remaining.

The poor man’s Sydney derby at Commbank Stadium on Sunday, and two unpredictable teams meet head on in front of a meagre crowd. Macarthur FC have doubts over their talisman Valere Germain following an incident at the end of the game on the weekend; without their main man they may be blunt in attack.

Wanderers stepped up their game in the real Sydney derby last Saturday and were only denied a win deep into injury time when they crumbled. Today at home, they will be outstanding, and a slender half-time lead becomes a handsome 4-0 score line, Nicolas Milanovic proving that his potential is being fulfilled and his Socceroos debut is on the horizon with a fabulous hat-trick.

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