Sydney split between Red & Blue
The Sydney derby takes place at the weekend with Sydney FC in an unassailable position atop the A-League. Can rivals, Wanderers, put even a small spanner in the works? Have a read of our preview here:
The fans are very Lefondre of him
The A-League is fairly young compared to many of its European counterparts and this derby is more juvenile still, not being played until 2012 when Western Sydney Wanderers came into being.
The entrenched Sydney FC have had the better of the battles over the years, winning 12 of the 24 meetings between the two clubs so far, with six being drawn and the other six heading to their rivals.
This campaign, however, has been a superb one for those Sydney FC supporters and for a striker, many in England will be familiar with.
Adam le Fondre has been in excellent form this season. The former Rotherham, Rochdale, Bolton and Reading front man has hit 16 goals in 19 games for Steve Corica’s side, helping them open up an impressive 10 point lead at the top of the standings.
Le Fondre has always been a natural goal scorer, enjoying particularly prolific spells when with Rochdale and Rotherham, but never to the degree the 33-year-old has enjoyed this season.
He will be a key man in this grudge match, with Wanderers currently well off the pace, 22-points behind their rivals.
The other important man in this side is assist leader Kosta Barbarouses, who has laid on six goals for his teammates during the campaign so far.
Wanderers lagging behind their rivals
This has been a poor campaign so far for Western Sydney Wanderers but in Mitchel Duke, they have a striker with an excellent strike rate.
The 29-year-old has netted 11 times in 20 appearances so far and is also the club captain, so his influence extends to beyond his ability alone.
It will be a tough examination of Jean-Paul de Marigny’s side. The coach is currently in caretaker charge following the dismissal of Markus Babbel following the sides poor form this season.
They will already be looking to next season but will do all they can to prevent their rivals from up the road taking all the points this weekend.
Western Sydney Wanderers v Sydney FC betting tip
Even though Wanderers have the home advantage, it is hard to back against Sydney FC given their excellent form this season. That’s why we are backing Sydney FC to win at odds of 19/20 with bet365.
