Heading into Saturday's fixture with a five-game undefeated streak Perth Glory should have no shortage of confidence when they host Newcastle Jets.
However, the visitors picked up a dominant 4-0 win during their most recent outing, giving them the chance to climb as high as fifth this weekend in the A-League.
Match preview
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Perth Glory have been one of the most dominant teams in the division when it comes to home fixtures this season in the A-League, with only Melbourne City boasting a better record at this stage.
Ruben Zadkovich's men are undefeated at Macedonia Park which should provide them with a lot of confidence heading into Saturday's match against Newcastle Jets.
Perth Glory were on the road last weekend, and it resulted in a 2-2 draw against Wellington Phoenix courtesy of a brace from David Williams.
Right now there is only a point between these two teams in the league table which is something that the Glory will look to extend, especially because three points could potentially take them as high as third if other results go in their favour.
However, the team will be very aware of the fact the last time they played against Newcastle Jets they were comfortably defeated 3-1 in the Australia Cup, which is something they should be looking to put behind them.
The visitors were just as dominant this past weekend as they comfortably defeated Brisbane Roar 4-0 in a well-deserved victory that helped them climb up the league table.
Right now they sit in ninth place, but a win could see them move to fifth place if other results go their way, but they would leapfrog their opponents at the very least, providing plenty of incentive here.
The victory extended their undefeated run to three matches, but while that is a good spell of form for the team it was actually their first win of 2023, as the two games before that resulted in draws.
A big reason that Newcastle Jets have struggled on the road in particular is down to a lack of goals, as the team have scored just four times away from home this season.
That is an issue that will need to be addressed, and the fact that four different players got on the scoresheet last weekend is a positive sign that change is happening from an attacking sense.
Team News
Salim Khelifi will be unavailable for Perth Glory this weekend and for the foreseeable future due to injury, but the club could bring Adam Taggart back from his own fitness problems this time around.
Jordan Elsey made his debut for the Glory in the recent 2-2 draw last week and slotted in comfortably at the back, which could continue here.
Beka Mikeltadze will be sure to lead the line again for the visitors this time around after he ended a seven-game drought without a goal, showcasing the qualities that led to him being the top scorer for the club last season.
After a 4-0 victory there is an easy argument to be made for no changes being necessary for Newcastle Jets, with Reno Piscopo certainly set to retain his place following his impressive performance throughout that match.
Perth Glory possible starting lineup:
Cook; Lachman, Elsey, Koutroumbis, Khelifi; Forde, Duncan, Amini, Jelacic; Dowse, Ivanovic
Newcastle Jets possible starting lineup:
Duncan; Ingham, Jenkinson, Jurman, McGarry; Al-Taay; Thurgate, Piscopo, Stynes, Sotirio; Mikeltadze
We say: Perth Glory 1-2 Newcastle Jets
These are two teams that are playing with a lot of confidence at the moment, which should lead to a thrilling back-and-forth fixture.
However, the visitors have been showcasing great attacking qualities throughout this season which should give them a slight edge here.
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