Western United vs. Adelaide United – A-League, December 28, 2020

Western United welcomes Adelaide United to GMHBA Stadium on Monday, December 28, as the 2020/21 A-League season gets underway.

These teams produced two high-scoring thrillers last term, with both sides winning away from home in this fixture. Who will come out on top this time around?

I assess the bookmakers’ odds before sharing my Western United vs. Adelaide United prediction and betting pick.

Following an outstanding maiden A-League campaign, Western United (1.83) heads into their opening game of the new season as the leading online sportsbooks’ favorite to win.

It’s fair to say that Adelaide (3.50) endured a below-par 2019/20 campaign, so I’m not surprised that the bookies view the Reds as the outsiders here.

If Mark Rudan’s men can get anywhere near the level they reached last season, they will be a serious threat in 2020/21. Indeed, the newcomers finished fifth in their debut A-League campaign and eventually came within just one game of reaching the Grand Final.

Led by veterans Besart Berisha and Alessandro Diamanti, Western United consistently upset the odds last term. Berisha netted a phenomenal 19 goals in 27 appearances, while Diamanti was awarded the Johnny Warren Medal for his efforts.

Goalkeeper Filip Kurto and winger Connor Pain also shone throughout 2019/20, but Rudan has bolstered his squad further during the offseason. Youngster Lachlan Wales has joined from Melbourne City, with former Barcelona and Espanyol star Victor Sanchez coming in to add even more experience.

The Melbourne outfit crushed Adelaide 5-1 in their first meeting last season, with Berisha bagging a brace. However, the Reds got their revenge in the reverse fixture – picking up a 4-3 win.

.@wufcofficial made a semi-final appearance in their inaugural #ALeague campaign ?⚫️

How will @MarkRudan's team go in Season 2020/21?#WUFC pic.twitter.com/POZDFULIKb

— A-League (@ALeague) December 22, 2020

Adelaide raced into a 3-1 lead inside 18 minutes the last time these two sides met. A quick-fire Nikola Mileusnic double gave the South Australians an early advantage before Nathan Konstandopoulos capped off the win.

However, it is difficult to ignore the 5-1 thrashing that the Reds suffered earlier in the campaign. Despite seeing 65% possession and racking up 25 shots, Adelaide was unable to prevent a humiliating thrashing at the hands of the newcomers.

Only three teams – Sydney FC, Melbourne City, and Western United – scored more goals than Adelaide last season. But it is worth pointing out that Adelaide also finished the 2019/20 campaign with the second-worst defensive record in the division.

Former assistant Cael Veart was handed the head coach role during the offseason. If he can sort out his side’s defensive problems, Adelaide should be able to compete with the top teams in the division again.

The bookies seem to think that Western United has the upper hand over Adelaide. However, I can’t look past the sky-high price for the draw here.

Both these sides beat each other last season, producing a total of 13 goals in the process. This is likely to be another high-scoring affair, but with odds of 4.00, I believe the draw is the way to go.