Perth Glory Head Coach David Zdrilic believes that Western Sydney Wanderers will feel a backlash from his fired-up charges in Sunday’s Isuzu UTE A-League Round 21 clash at CommBank Stadium (kick-off at 2pm WST, watch live on Paramount +).
Click HERE to view his full pre-match media conference
The men in purple have gone agonisingly short to securing three points on numerous occasions since the turn of the year, but have only been able to get over the line and claim victory in one of those games.
And Zdrilic believes that that sense of what might have been is helping to fuel his side ahead of their showdown with the in-form red-and-blacks.
“The mood generally in the past few weeks has been really positive,” he said.
“The guys can see what we’re trying to build and we’re having a really good go in all the games.
“The frustrating thing is that we believe that we should have won quite a few more games than we have, especially the ones at home.
“But the message is that we’ve been playing well at home and away and we need to keep building… integrating the new guys and getting better.
“The evolution of this team has been from not being able to create and really being a worry defensively, to now having an all-round game in which we’re able to press with more energy and to create chances.
“Now the next step is to finish them.
“They [Western Sydney Wanderers] going to be a tough opposition, just like they were here.
“They want to get their crowd going… and I’m expecting a good crowd and a good atmosphere.
“But we are motivated to go away and take out the frustration of not converting our chances into goals.”
In terms of early team news, the Head Coach revealed that central defender Tass Mourdoukoutas will face a late fitness test on the groin injury that forced him off at half-time against Sydney FC on Saturday.
Luke Amos, Yuto Misao and Takuya Okamoto, however, all came through their starting debuts in that game unscathed and are set to be joined in Sunday’s squad by on-loan Sydney FC striker Patrick Wood who was ineligible to play against his parent club.
Wanderers, meanwhile, will head into the game in confident mood following a run of three wins and a draw in their last four games which has left them sitting in fifth spot on the ladder.
The most emphatic of their eight victories this term came last weekend when they thumped Central Coast Mariners 4-0 in Gosford, with former Glory man Jack Clisby among their goalscorers.
Zac Sapsford and Nicolas Milanovic were also on target, taking their tallies for the season to seven and eight respectively, but the latter will be unavailable on Sunday due to suspension.
Wanderers’ other notable goal contributors this term have been Brandon Borrello and Swedish import Marcus Antonsson who have chipped in with five apiece.
Defender Gabriel Cleur has been another creative force for Alen Stajcic’s men, claiming five assists, while former Melbourne Victory ‘keeper Lawrence Thomas has kept three clean sheets in 14 appearances.
Glory have beaten Western Sydney on their home patch only four times in 17 attempts, but one of those victories did come from their most recent visit in March of last year.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE A-League 2024-25 Season Round 21
Western Sydney Wanderers v Perth Glory
CommBank Stadium
Sunday 2 March 2025
Kick-Off: 2pm WST
Western Sydney Wanderers squad: 2.Gab CLEUR, 3.Alex GERSBACH, 4.Alex BONETIG, 6.Mohammed AL-TAAY, 7.Zac SAPSFORD, 9.Marcus ANTONSSON, 13.Dean PELEKANOS, 17.Jarrod CARLUCCIO, 18.Oscar PRIESTMAN, 19.Jack CLISBY, 20.Lawrence THOMAS, 21.Aydan HAMMOND, 22.Anthony PANTAZPOULOS, 23.Bozhidar KRAEV, 25.Josh BRILLANTE, 26.Brandon BORRELLO, 27.James TEMELKOVSKI, 28. Josh LAWS, 30.Jordan HOLMES, 64. Juan MATA
(Two to be omitted)
Ins: 25. Josh BRILLANTE (returns from illness), 28. Josh LAWS (promoted)
Outs: 14. Nicolas MILANOVIC (suspended)
Unavailable: 5.Dylan SCICLUNA (injured), 8.Jeong TAE-WOOK (injured)
Perth Glory squad: 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 3.Anas HAMZAOUI, 4.Tass MOURDOUKOUTAS, 7.Nicholas PENNINGTON, 10.Nikola MILEUSNIC, 11.Hiroaki AOYAMA, 12.Taras GOMULKA, 13.Cameron COOK (gk), 14.Nathanael BLAIR, 17.Yuto MISAO, 18.Lachie WALES, 19.Josh RISDON, 20.Trent OSTLER, 21.Luke AMOS, 22.Adam TAGGART, 23.Patrick WOOD, 28.Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI, 29.Tomi MRCELA, 31.Joel ANASMO, 36.Takuya OKAMOTO
(Two to be omitted)
Ins: 23.Patrick WOOD, 28.Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 5.Lachie BARR (injured), 9.David WILLIAMS (injured), 15.Zach LISOLAJSKI (international duty), 16.Adam BUGARIJA (international duty), 24.Andriano LEBIB (injured), 25.Jaylan PEARMAN (international duty)
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