The Western Sydney Wanderers will be seeking redemption when they travel east to the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night for the seventh A-League Sydney Derby.
The Wanderers lost the final derby last season to Sydney FC in a spiteful affair, and the Blue half of Sydney has been reminding Wanderers fans of that fact ahead of the match.
The Wanderers have also lost their opening match of the new season, with a disappointing 4-1 loss to Melbourne Victory last weekend, and will be out to amend their record this week.
Wanderers’ coach Tony Popovic will be keen to see several key players return to the side, with captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley back from international duty and likely to start against the Blues.
The rivalry between East and West is already fiery, and Brendan Santalab will be a marked man, following an incident in the last match with Sydney’s Ali Abbas, which hasn’t been forgotten by those in Blue.
Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold would have been happy with their 1-1 draw against Melbourne City last weekend, but will be looking for nothing more than 3 points against their arch rivals on Saturday night.
Popovic will also have an eye ahead to their coming schedule, with the first leg of the Asian Champions League Final being played next weekend at Parramatta Stadium, and will want a fully fit side for the Final.
Popovic will need his key players to ensure they stand up in what should be a fiercely contested local derby, and will be impressing the importance of the match to his players this week.
The 2GLF Football team will be live from Sydney Football Stadium for all the action on Saturday night, with plenty of passion to be heard in the box, the stands, and on the field.
Join Mike Shean, Matt Connellan and the 2GLF Football team from 7pm Saturday night, live on 89.3FM, online at www.893fm.com.au and through the TuneIn mobile app.
