Time for derby day in Sydney

The A-League is going into round 8 this weekend and Saturday morning sees the two Sydney sides meet each other in the season’s first Sydney derby. Whether or not you’ll get up early enough for kick off (08.50) there’s still plenty of value in the odds.

Western Sydney Wanderers

The Wanderers are currently sitting in 7th spot in the table, the same position they finished last season and the same place the bookies have been tipping them to finish during preseason.

But Wanderers are looking a lot sharper this time round. That’s why my last A-League tips were for Wanderers to get a win which they did in convincing fashion, though against weaker opposition in Mariners.

Wanderers didn’t put in a phenomenal performance but were solid defensively throughout the match and definitely benefited from having centre back Patrick Ziegler back in the mix after a lengthy absence. Another German doing the business is Alexander Baumjohann who’s been seriously impressive in his number 10 roll.

If we have a quick overview of the statistics around Wanderers this season you’ll see that they’ve had the most shots per match, and even created the most viable goal chances in a match. Defensively the team isn’t so impressive but with Ziegler back they’ll be given a serious boost.

Sydney FC

Sydney FC were easily superior in the A-League last season with the Sydney side finishing 14 points ahead of closest second place side Newcastle Jets. Their superiority didn’t show when it came to the final playoffs though after they’ve dropped out to Melbourne Victory, the eventual winners.

Many are tipping Sydney to come top of the league again this season, but I’m not sure I agree. I reckon this season’s Sydney are a long way off last year’s side, typified in the fact that they lost 1-3 at home to rock bottom Wellington.

There are serious weaknesses just waiting to be exploited throughout the side. First and foremost it’s the attack that’s lost its edge. Last year they had the series’ best attack and averaged around 2.37 goals a match. In stark contrast this season it’s down to a lowly 1.57 per match and if we dig just a little deeper you’ll see they’ve taken the least shots out of any team in the A-League this time round.

Betting Tips

Actually I put some money down on the derby last season when Sydney triumphed 2-0 at home despite Wanderers having more shots (11-9). In principle Sydney FC are a better team and go into the match as favourites despite being the away side.

But I’m not one to back the favourites just for the sake of it, and even after the weekend’s results, meaning the odds have begun to drop on Wanderers. No doubt considering Wanderers registered an easy win, while Sydney lost out big time.

There is definitely value on the home side despite the drop in odds. In my book I reckon the home team has at least a 57% chance of taking at least 1 point from the match. With that said there’s no other better bet than a double chance on Western Sydney Wanderers at 17/20 (1.85) with bet365.