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.
After last night’s results went against them, Brisbane Roar will need to register a win to keep their A-League finals hopes alive when they host Melbourne Heart at Suncorp this afternoon. We’ll have live scores from 5.00pm AEDT.
Josh Risdon’s stunning winner in the death throes of last night’s clash between the Victory and Glory might have been great for the neutral, but it was not welcome news for Mike Mulvey.
It propelled the Glory into sixth spot on the A-League ladder, and things didn’t get any better when Sydney ended Western Sydney Wanderers’ ten-match winning streak with a 1-1 draw yesterday.
The result moved the Sky Blues onto 32 points, but a win here for the home side today will see them go back into fifth in goal difference, setting up a tantalising winner-takes-all game between Brisbane and Sydney on Thursday night.
Today Brisbane will be without the services of centre-half pair Jade North and Matt Smith, while the Heart will miss Simon Colosimo due to suspension.
John Aloisi’s Heart side still harbour faint hopes of a playoff berth, sitting four points behind the Glory in sixth place.
They were competitive last weekend against the Wanderers but the 3-1 scoreline ultimately reflected the dominance of the Sydneysiders.
Everything goes on the line today.