Adelaide United vs Wellington Phoenix Predictions

• Gary Hooper has an average Expected Goals value of 0.32 from his eight shots at goal this season, the highest average xG of any player after matchweek five.
• Adelaide United have conceded at least two goals in each of their last four home A-League contests.
• Both teams have scored in four of the past five head-to-head meetings.

Hooper has instincts to wreck Reds’ defence

Well-travelled Englishman Gary Hooper is settling down nicely in Australia with Wellington Phoenix and looks like good value to get on the scoresheet in Saturday’s clash with Adelaide United.

Hooper was at his most prolific during his spells at Scunthorpe United and Celtic – where he utilised his pace and poaching instincts to finish with the Golden Boot in Scotland.

His A-League record is not too shabby either with ten goals scored in 21 appearances, 17 of which were starts. We think Hooper can capitalise on any disruption to an already-leaky Adelaide United defence when the two sides meet on New Year’s Day.

Reds conceding regularly at home

The South Australian team are currently second-bottom of the table with just three points from five games, having conceded six times. Four of those goals came in their two home games this season, following on from a shoddy end to last season when United shipped six across their final two home games.

The Reds’ leading striker – Kusini Yengi – will miss out as he now faces up to at least three months on the sidelines.  Yengi was injured in training the day before Adelaide’s 1-0 loss to Western United and the Reds confirmed on Sunday he had surgery to repair his right quad. That tips the balance in favour of Phoenix here and has us leaning towards a 2-1 away win.

Both teams have scored in four of the last head-to-head meetings and we are banking on a repeat of Phoenix’s 2-1 win in South Australia from two visits ago.

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