Perth face Wellington for the first time since their penalty shoot-out loss to the Phoenix back in February of last season’s final series, and will be hungry for redemption in front of their home fans at nib Stadium on Sunday.
Both sides will be looking to improve on their round four performances, with Perth lucky to escape with a point against Melbourne Heart and Wellington suffering their first loss of the season at the hands of Brisbane Roar. The Glory have been boosted by the news that veteran defender Jamie Harnwell and in-form forward Mile Sterjovski are both available for the weekend’s clash after the pair made speedy recoveries from respective calf and ankle injuries.
The Phoenix must find a way to overcome the epic trip to Western Australia, which – covering over 5000kms and crossing two time zones – is the longest away trip in any domestic football league in the world. They have not been able to do this in recent times, having lost their past three matches in Perth without scoring a single goal.
Perth are paying 1.93 to win and should do so without too many problems.