Auckland FC v Wellington Phoenix: A-League Saturday Preview

Auckland FC are marching towards the A-League minor premiership as they get set to entertain Wellington Phoenix on Saturday.

Despite only entering the A-League this season, Auckland are well on course to finish the regular season at the top of the pile.

There is still a long way to go, but they sit five points clear at the top and are showing no signs of slowing down.

Next up is the derby clash with Wellington Phoenix and another three points will keep them on track.

The Nix still have an outside chance of making the top six, but after winning just one game in the last five, they need to get their act together.

Auckland FC v Wellington Phoenix betting preview

Auckland out to complete hat-trick

Auckland have already played Wellington on two occasions this season, home and away, and have come out on top in both.

There has been little in it, winning 2-0 and 2-1, which shows that local pride counts for a lot already in these fixtures.

Auckland are unbeaten in the last five games, winning four of them, including the last three.

They showed their class at the weekend with a 2-0 away win against a Western United side that have been going well.

Neyder Moreno has been in good form, scoring three goals in the last four games, but Auckland’s success continues to be built on a solid defence.

They have conceded just one goal in the last three games and 12 all season.

Steve Corica’s men have lost just once on home soil this season and that came in a very uncharacteristic 4-0 defeat to Western United.

That was back in December and they have won two of the three games since then, scoring five goals.

Phoenix out for revenge

Wellington Phoenix will be desperate to rescue some pride by picking up three points on Saturday.

It is the start of what is sure to be a big rivalry for years to come, and losing the first two clashes is far from ideal.

The Nix had been unbeaten in four games before they slipped to a 1-0 defeat away at Melbourne Victory on Friday.

However three of the games had been draws with just two goals scored. The other was a 2-1 win away at Macarthur,

Wellington have been keeping things tight at the back, conceding just three goals in the last five games.

It all points to being another tight, low-scoring affair, when they face Auckland FC.

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Auckland FC v Wellington Phoenix odds

Auckland FC - 1.53
Draw - 4.33
Wellington Phoenix - 5.75

View the full market and more odds for Auckland FC v Wellington Phoenix on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.