Preview: Western Sydney Wanderers vs. Central Coast Mariners - prediction, team news, lineups

It is a top-of-the-table clash in the A-League this Saturday as second-placed Central Coast Mariners make the journey to face second-placed Western Sydney Wanderers.

With only goal difference separating at the moment, there is plenty to play for in this particular match, while both teams also aim to close the gap on the league leaders.

Match preview

Western Sydney Wanderers might be the lowest-scoring team in the top half of the A-League at the moment, but they showcased their attacking qualities last weekend.

The Wanderers blew past Macarthur with a 4-0 victory which included four completely different goalscorers, marking the second game in a row where the team scored that many goals.

Having vastly improved that side of their game, the hosts will be hoping to kick on and continue dominating their opposition, particularly this weekend.

Three points on Saturday would allow them to overtake their opponents while also placing pressure on Melbourne City, which will be crucial in the final stretch of the season.

While Western Sydney Wanderers have only won once in their previous three outings, the team have remained in a strong position due to the consistency they have shown throughout the campaign.

The visitors have also only picked up a single win in their past three matches, but their previous two fixtures have seen them share the points with their opponents.

Consecutive draws have allowed Melbourne City to push further away from them, but Central Coast Mariners need to get back to winning ways considering the fact that Adelaide United are also on the same number of points as them.

The Yellow & Navy showcased a lack of discipline last weekend which was a big reason they were unable to defeat Wellington Phoenix as they finished the match with nine men.

Brian Kaltack and Moresche were both sent for early showers, and despite James McGarry giving them a lead early on, they were stung at the end of the game when conceding a 94th-minute equaliser.

The visitors will be pushing for a little more consistency toward the end of the season as they have lost more games than the current top five.

Team News

After such a dominant performance last weekend, it would not be a surprise to see Western Sydney Wanderers deploy the exact same starting lineup this time around.

One change that could take place is in defense, as Adama Traore is available once again due to his suspension being lifted, but it remains to be seen if he will be brought straight back in following a clean sheet.

While the hosts could bring a player back from suspension, Central Coast Mariners will be without both Moresche and Kaltack after their red cards last weekend.

However, the visitors will be boosted by the fact that Jason Cummings is fit and an option once again which should lead to him leading the line again.

Western Sydney Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Thomas; Cleur, Mrcela, Marcelo, Bonetig; Amalfitano, Nieuwenhof; Wilmering, Bozanic; Yengi, Borrello

Central Coast Mariners possible starting lineup:

Vukovic; Roux, Triantis, Hall, McGarry; Silvera, Balard, Nisbet, N'Kololo; Tulio, Cummings

We say: Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 Central Coast Mariners

Western Sydney Wanderers have been offensively impressive as of late, and that is something that they will take into this game.

With a home advantage and plenty to play for in terms of their league positioning, we predict the Wanderers to edge this one.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.