The Roar's A-League Men tips and predictions: Round 26 - the jostle for finals positions is on in earnest
Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
Perth Glory will be out to rebound from their loss at Central Coast on New Year’s Eve when they host Sydney FC tonight. We’ll have live scores from 9.45pm AEDT.
They’re still well in contention in fifth place, but Perth’s season continues to be plagued by inconsistency and serious questions are beginning to be asked about whether the Glory can turn it around.
Liam Miller, Shane Smeltz and Jacob Burns have all spent time on the sidelines this season but they’ve been back for a few weeks now, but Ian Ferguson’s men just can’t seem to put it together.
Tonight they get the chance to take a step in the right direction when they face Sydney FC, who prop up the A-League table with only 13 points from their 14 matches.
The Sky Blues continued to be plagued by some serious structural problems, though they will get some assistance in the form of Alessandro Del Piero and Jason Culina, who both should start tonight.
Unfortunately for Frank Farina’s team, their defensive instability continues due to the unavailability of Pascal Bosschaart and Adam Griffiths.
As has been the case all season for Sydney, the depth of their squad – or lack thereof – means they’ll struggle to contain the likes of Smeltz and Miller, and they might have a tough time out west this evening.