Wellington Phoenix vs. Perth Glory Betting Preview – A-League, March 7, 2021

The Nix will be looking to build on a much-needed win over Newcastle when they face Perth at WIN Stadium on Sunday, March 7.

The Glory’s three-game winning streak was brought to an end by Central Coast last time out, although they still sit four points clear of Wellington on the A-League ladder – with two games in hand.

You can find my Wellington Phoenix vs. Perth Glory prediction and betting pick below. But first, let’s start by checking out the bookmakers’ odds.

It is clear that the leading online betting sites view this as a tight matchup. Wellington (2.45) is the narrow favorite to win on Sunday, while Perth (2.65) is the marginal outsider.

However, let’s not forget that the Nix are currently playing their home games in Wollongong. Without any genuine home-field advantage, I think the price for the Wellington win should be higher here.

Wellington has endured a difficult start to the 2020/21 A-League season, we all know that. But it felt like last weekend’s 2-0 victory over the Jets was thoroughly deserved.

Ufuk Talay’s men headed into their previous game on a four-match winless run, having suffered defeats to Sydney FC, Central Coast, and Melbourne Victory during that period. But they dug in and managed to secure all three points against Newcastle.

Goals either side of half-time from David Ball and Ben Waine handed Wellington the win. Remarkably, the New Zealanders only registered three shots on target at McDonald Jones Stadium, while the hosts racked up 18 attempts. So, keeping a clean sheet was also a huge bonus.

Looking at the bigger picture – the Nix have only managed to win two of their nine A-League games this season, with two draws and five losses coming in that time. But with the congested ladder, they could easily move up the standings in the coming weeks.

Still, getting the better of Perth won’t be easy, especially when you consider the recent head-to-head record between the two sides.

Last time we met…
As the build-up to Sunday's clash with @WgtnPhoenixFC continues, here's a reminder of what unfolded when we met the Kiwi side in last year's Elimination Final.@ALeague #OneGlory pic.twitter.com/cebMB6EwX3

— Perth Glory FC (@PerthGloryFC) March 4, 2021

The Glory can take confidence from the fact that they have only lost one of their previous six matches against Wellington, with some high-scoring victories coming along the way.

Perth crushed the Phoenix 3-0 and 5-0 in 2019 before picking up a 4-2 win last year. Not only have the Western Australians scored a combined total of 16 goals across their last six meetings with the Kiwis, but they have also kept three clean sheets.

Richard Garcia’s men have only played seven games this term – two less than Wellington and three less than first-place Central Coast. However, they are still the highest scorers in the league, having netted 19 goals already this season.

Bruno Fornaroli (six goals, two assists), Nick D’Agostino (four goals, one assist), and Carl Armiento (three goals, two assists) have all hit the ground running this year, while Neil Kilkenny has contributed five assists in seven outings.

With veteran playmaker Diego Castro (two goals, one assist) growing into the campaign, the Glory look set to get even stronger.

In my eyes, the big price for the away win must be taken advantage of here. Yes, the Nix picked up an important win last time out. But Perth’s free-scoring forward line is likely to enjoy plenty of success against Wellington’s leaky defense.

Granted, Garcia’s men have also struggled to keep the ball out of their own net this season. But I’m backing the Glory to outscore the Phoenix and come away from Wollongong with all three points.