Double header football is back this Friday night when the Wanderers host Newcastle Jets in the Westfield W-League and Melbourne City in the Hyundai A-League at Bankwest Stadium.
Get your tickets to the double header here.
Fresh off their last gasp 2-1 win over Adelaide United, the Wander Women will be buoyed by the inclusion of star internationals Lynn Williams and Denise O’Sullivan for their Red & Black debuts.
Dean Heffernan’s side showed great resilience to come from a goal down to grab all three points in the season opener at Marconi Stadium last Thursday night with US international Kristen Hamilton and Young Matilda Kyra Cooney-Cross grabbing the goals.
Using her blistering pace and skill, Hamilton turned in a five-star performance and her upcoming combindation with North Carolina Courage teammates Williams and O’Sullivan will set the Westfield W-League on fire.
Their opponents, Newcastle Jets, did well to earn a 1-1 draw with the highly fancied Melbourne City last Sunday, coming from behind after City had taken the lead on 22 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Hyundai A-League side will be looking to continue their solid start to the season in one of the games of the round.
Having tasted defeat for the first time in five games this season in a 2-1 loss away to Western United on November 9, the Red & Black will be aiming to quickly get back to winning ways.
City’s 4-3 defeat to Brisbane Roar means the gap between the first placed Victorians and third placed Wanderers is just three points. A win would elevate the Wanderers to the top of the table again.
The week’s break should prove both a blessing and a bit of a headache for head coach Markus Babbel.
It will have allowed a number of injured players that extra bit of time to get over their injuries, which means the likes of Bruce Kamau, Tarek Elrich, Nick Sullivan and Matt Jurman will likely be ready to make their return to the squad.
With almost a full squad to choose from, it will also mean Babbel could have a few selection headaches to contend with for one of the biggest games of the season.
The Wanderers will go into the game full of confidence knowing they have the advantage of playing at Wanderland, where they are unbeaten in three games so far this season.
They also have an strong record against the Victorian side, having won 11 of the 21 Hyundai A-League games between the two clubs for a 52.38 per cent winning record. Seven of those wins have been at home.
Interestingly, games between the two sides have produced plenty of goals over the years – 68 all up for an average of a little over three goals a game, so get ready for an exciting night back at Wanderland,.
