The Glory like to play on the front foot, they press hard and theyve got an excellent attack that leads from the front. Bruno Fornaroli has nine goals this season, while veteran playmaker Diego Castro has created six assists and chipped in with four strikes of his own.
That has lead Nix skipper Steven Taylor to caution his side against sitting back and trying to hit Perth on the break. “One thing you have to do is get after them, you can’t go to Perth and soak the pressure up. You’re asking for trouble because they’ll hurt you.”
Beat Them at Their Own Game
Wellington head coach Ufuk Talay wants the Yellow and Black to maintain possession and build patiently - as do the Glory. The Aussies like to press aggressively and Taylor wants the Phoenix to beat them at their own game.
“They’re very good obviously,” said the defender. “You look at the attacking threat they’ve got and the style they play. The manager’s got them playing a very aggressive press and they like to control the game.”
Phoenix have taken a strong squad across and its one of the strongest groups they’ve had over the past few seasons. Reno Piscopo is back after international duty with Australia U23s while Matti Steinmann will return following his one game suspension.
Chances to Impress
Talay has shown he is willing to stick with players who grab their chance when its handed to them. Cameron Devlin is one of those, while Brandon Wilson will have an outside chance of making the starting side to face his old team after starting the last game against the Newcastle Jets.
“This year were lucky to have strength in depth and quality there. Players have stepped up to the plate and took their opportunity very well,” continued Taylor.
Wellington are two points behind Perth, who sit in third, and only three behind Melbourne City. This is a massive game and a real chance for Talay to test his young side against one of the A-Leagues best outfits.