Wellington Phoenix and Central Coast Mariners will battle for three points in an Australian A-League fixture on Sunday.
The hosts come into the game on the back of a narrow 1-0 away victory over Brisbane Roar last weekend. Oskar Zawada's goal proved to be the difference between the two sides.
Central Coast Mariners claimed a 2-1 away victory over Macarthur FC. Marco Tulio and Jason Cummings scored first-half goals to give them a comfortable lead at the break, while Matthew Millar halved the deficit in the 57th minute.
The win means the Mariners remain in second spot, having garnered 22 points from 12 games and are four points behind Melbourne City who have a game in hand. Wellington Phoenix climbed above Macathur FC into the fifth spot, with 17 points to their name.
Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two sides have clashed on 42 occasions in the past. Central Coast Mariners lead 18-16, while eight matches ended in a share of the spoils.
- One of those draws came in their most recent meeting, a 2-2 stalemate in October 2022.
- Twelve of Central Coast Mariners' 13 games in all competitions have produced three goals or more.
- Wellington Phoenix have found the back of the net in all their 12 league games this season.
- Central Coast Mariners have the best attack in the league, having scored 26 goals in 12 matches.
- Each of Wellington Phoenix's seven home games this season have seen both teams find the back of the net.
- Nine of the last 10 head-to-head games between the two sides produced three or more goals.
Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners Prediction
Both sides are among the highest-scoring teams in the league this term, which could translate into an enthralling end-to-end encounter.
Central Coast Mariners have been the more consistent side, winning four of their last five league games, including their last three successively.
There is little to choose between the two sides and they will each go all out for the win to solidify their spot in the playoff positions. Although one side could nick a win here, we are backing the spoils to be shared in a high-scoring draw.
Prediction: Wellington Phoenix 2-2 Central Coast Mariners
Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Over 2.5 goals
Bold Tip - Both teams to score over 1.5 goals