Wellington Phoenix invite Brisbane Roar to the Wellington Regional Stadium in the A-League on Saturday (March 30).
The hosts are atop the league table, with a three-point lead over Central Coast Mariners. They registered a comeback 2-1 home win over Sydney in their previous outing before the international break. Kosta Barbarouses scored the winner in the 69th minute after Hayden Matthews' own goal had levelled proceedings.
Brisbane, meanwhile, have one win in five league outings, losing twice. In their previous outing, they lost 2-1 at home to Macarthur. Florin Berenguer opened the scoring in the 14th minute, but Tomislav Uskok and Raphael Borges Rodrigues strikes helped Macarthur take all three points.
Wellington Phoenix vs Brisbane Roar Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two sides have crossed paths 50 times across competitions thus far. Brisbane lead 22-12.
- Wellington are unbeaten in five meetings against Brisbane, winning three. They drew 1-1 in the reverse fixture in February after Wellington had won 5-2 at home in November.
- Brisbane have the worst defensive record in the A-League this season, conceding 47 goals in 22 games. They have a decent goalscoring record, though, scoring 37 times.
- Wellington are unbeaten in nine home meetings against Brisbane, winning four.
- Brisbane are winless in six away games in the league, losing five.
- Five of their last seven meetings have produced over 2.5 goals, with Wellington recording three clean sheets.
Wellington Phoenix vs Brisbane Roar Prediction
Wellington have just one loss in the A-League in 2024 and have won four of their last six league games. They have had three consecutive home wins in the league, scoring seven goals and conceding thrice.
Defenders Tim Payne and Isaac Hughes are sidelined due to injuries picked up during the international break. Oskar Zawada's thigh injury exacerbated recently, and he could be out for the season.
Brisbane, meanwhile, have one win in five league games, four of which have produced over 2.5 goals. They have scored eight goals and conceded 11 times. They have one win in 10 meetings with Wellington.
Considering the home form of Wellington and their better recent head-to-head record, expect them to eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Wellington 2-1 Brisbane
Wellington Phoenix vs Brisbane Roar Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Wellington to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least one goal to be scored in the first half - Yes
Tip 4: Kosta Barbarouses to score or assist anytime - Yes