Newcastle Jets vs Adelaide United

Rock-bottom Newcastle Jets will hope to get their stuttering A-League campaign back on the rails when they take on Adelaide United at the McDonald Jones Stadium.

The Covid-19 induced match cancellations in the A-League seem to have affected Newcastle Jets’ performances as the hosts head into proceedings amid a rough patch. Barring a crushing 4-0 home victory over Wellington Phoenix in early December, they have gone winless in three of their last four league matches (D2, L1), conceding 2+ goals on each occasion. What’s more, taking the 2020/21 season into account, the ‘Jets’ have only won one of their last 11 A-League fixtures at home (D3, L7), scoring under 1.5 goals ten times in the process. Arthur Papas’ men tend to leave it late at home, having found the net beyond the 75-minute mark in both top-flight home outings this season, with four of their five goals scored on home turf thus far coming beyond half-time.

Meanwhile, Adelaide United came from behind to secure a 3-1 win against Brisbane Roar last time out, ending a run of two consecutive league matches without winning (D2). However, another conceded goal means that they’ve only kept one clean sheet in their last six A-League outings, which is a concern. Indeed, you have to go back to February 2019 to find Adelaide’s last shutout against Newcastle Jets in A-League action, with the ‘Reds’ conceding at least once in their subsequent five top-flight H2Hs. That said, they have gone unbeaten in four away league H2Hs (W3, D1) since a 2-1 loss in December 2017, winning the last two in a row by an aggregate score of 6-2.