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.
Who is hot and who is not in the A-League? The teams were ranked in the following order, with Sydney FC not considered as they were the team with the bye.
1st- Adelaide United
2nd- Wellington Phoenix
3rd- Melbourne City
4th- Brisbane Roar
5th- Western United
6th- Perth Glory
7th- Central Coast Mariners
8th- Western Sydney Wanderers
9th- Newcastle Jets
10th- Melbourne Victory
First- Adelaide United- Adelaide United were outstanding, in particular in the first half. They responded well to get back on the winners list after losing four games in a row.
READ MORE: A-League Round 14: The pecking order
Second- Wellington Phoenix- Wellington Phoenix were probably the better team against the Brisbane Roar; the Phoenix played some quality football. They were unlucky hitting the bar twice in the first half.
Third- Melbourne City- Melbourne City did what they had to do against the Newcastle Jets who are last on the A-League ladder. City scored two goals and defended diligently.
Fourth- Brisbane Roar- The Brisbane Roar were second best for the majority of the game, but managed to create many attacks through their wing backs – Jack Hingert and Corey Brown.
Fifth- Western United- Western United won the game 3-nil, but they still have plenty to work on as the Central Coast Mariners controlled the balance of play.
Sixth- Perth Glory- The Perth Glory scored early in the game and then defended extremely well.
Seventh- Central Coast Mariners- The Central Coast Mariners would be gutted they conceded three goals against Western United as they had more possessions than them. They had an incredible 44 crosses and 19 shots to Western United’s 11, but at the end of the day they failed to score.
Eighth- Western Sydney Wanderers- The Western Sydney Wanderers can count themselves unlucky to lose a game that they played some good football in, apart from in the final third.
Ninth- Newcastle Jets- The Newcastle Jets put in a good shift for the second week in a row, but they conceded two goals for the second week in a row too. This sees them pick up ninth place.
Tenth- Melbourne Victory- Victory weren’t at the races in the first half. They improved a lot in the second, but they would be extremely disappointed with the way they played.