Wellington Phoenix vs Macarthur Prediction

Recent form for both sides

Over their last 20 matches, Wellington have won 9, drawn 4 and lost 7, scoring 30 and conceding 34. That's a decent win rate but a negative goal difference, so they've not always been tidy at the back.

Wellington Phoenix: 20 completed matches; Macarthur: 20 completed matches.

Wellington Phoenix

20 matches

Win

45% 9 / 20

Draw

20% 4 / 20

Loss

35% 7 / 20

Scored

30

Conceded

34

Difference

-4

Macarthur

20 matches

Win

30% 6 / 20

Draw

35% 7 / 20

Loss

35% 7 / 20

Scored

32

Conceded

34

Difference

-2

Macarthur's record in the same span is 6 wins, 6 draws and 8 losses, with 32 scored and 35 conceded. Their numbers are a touch worse than Wellington's across the board, though both teams have let in more than they've scored.

Neither side's longer-run form points to a convincing edge, with both leaking goals more often than you'd want.

Comparative Team Statistics: Wellington Phoenix vs Macarthur

Head-to-head record

Looking back across meetings since 2021, Wellington have actually won more often than Macarthur, with eight wins to six and two draws. It's not a one-sided rivalry by any means.

The most recent game, in April, bucked that trend with a heavy 4-0 Macarthur win. Before that, Wellington had taken four of the previous five meetings, so recent history is a bit mixed depending on how far back you look.

Where they sit early on

Both clubs have played just one match so far this particular season, with Wellington sitting second and Macarthur third after opening wins. That's far too small a sample to read much into position or points at this stage.

Players to watch and fitness notes

Wellington's I. Eze is their standout scorer with 9 goals in 25 appearances, while Macarthur spread their goals more evenly between H. Sawyer (6 in 26) and M. Duke, who has 5 in just 13 games. C. Talbot leads the way for assists on either side with 6 for Macarthur.

Wellington Phoenix:

Best scorers:

I. Eze - 9

Best assist providers:

T. Payne - 5

C. Piper - 4

K. Nagasawa - 4

Penalty cards:

C. Armiento x 1 x 3

M. James x 1 x 1

A. Rufer x 8

Macarthur:

Best scorers:

H. Sawyer - 6

M. Duke - 5

Best assist providers:

C. Talbot - 6

Penalty cards:

T. Uskok x 1 x 6

A. Robinson x 1

L. Brattan x 8

Injury list:

C. Ikonomidis

T. Uskok

S. Grzan

A. Caceres

Macarthur also have four players listed as questionable through injury or inactivity: C. Ikonomidis, T. Uskok, S. Grzan and A. Caceres. There's no equivalent fitness concern flagged for Wellington in the data, though that doesn't guarantee a fully fit squad either way.

If several of those Macarthur doubts are missing, their attacking and defensive options could be a bit thinner than usual.

How this one might play out

With both teams showing fairly similar underlying form and a head-to-head record that doesn't strongly favour either club, this has the makings of a tight contest. Home advantage and Wellington's slightly better longer-term win rate could nudge things their way.

Macarthur's scoring is split between two players in good form, so they're capable of causing problems even away from home. Given how open both defences have looked over the past 20 games, goals at both ends wouldn't be a surprise.