History on the side of Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix know what it takes to beat Western United. They have done it seven times in their nine encounters.
The Phoenix have not won a playoff game in 10 years but their superior head-to-head record should give them every reason to believe they can cause an upset in their A-League Men elimination final at AAMI Park in Melbourne tonight.
The Phoenix have been listed by the TAB as $3.75 underdogs to beat the thirdplaced qualifiers within 90 minutes after Western finished six points above them to earn hosting rights for the do-or-die clash.
The Phoenix won one fewer game than Western over the course of the regular season, scored six goals fewer and conceded a whopping 19 more thanks to a few blowouts when key personnel were missing through injury.
But it is a different story when the two clubs have faced each other.
Ufuk Talay’s team have had the wood on Western for most of their existence, winning seven and drawing one of their last eight matches.
The only time Western have beaten the Phoenix was in their very first match, in the first game of Talay’s tenure on October 13, 2019.
The Phoenix have beaten Western three times already this season.
They edged them 1-0 in the Australia Cup round of 32 on December 7, beat them 2-1 in the league on January 21 and again on April 9 when they cruised to a 4-1 win thanks to a double from Jaushua Sotirio.
Talay said those past results would give the Phoenix confidence, although he did stress finals football was a different challenge.
‘‘We’ve had some positive results against Western United previously. We’ll take that confidence going into the game but finals football is a different beast altogether,’’ Talay said.
‘‘It’s a one-off and the tactics and preparation changes depending on how the game is going for those 90 minutes.
‘‘It’s not going to be an easy game and we obviously have to travel.
‘‘They’re playing in Melbourne and they are a very experienced side
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that probably have more players that have played in these types of games previously, so it’s definitely going to be a challenge.’’
Sotirio has been cleared to play after missing the past couple of games with a calf injury, giving the Phoenix an extra boost after welcoming Gary Hooper and Clayton Lewis back before the final round.
Talay confirmed that Lewis would start in central midfield – likely partnering Nicholas Pennington – after his impressive return against Melbourne City on Monday, and would be pushed as far as he could.
The Phoenix have lost every game when they have conceded first this season and Talay stressed the importance of scoring the first goal against a team that likes to sit back and defend slender leads.
But with a full complement of attacking players at his disposal, Talay will have options to turn to on the bench should the Phoenix need to find a late goal – a luxury he has had not had for most of the season.
LONG, LONGROADTO A-LEAGUE FINALS