Newcastle Jets vs Brisbane Roar 28/12/19

28 December 2019

The two struggling sides go head-to-head at the McDonald Jones Stadium as Newcastle Jets take on Brisbane Roar in the A-League bottom-of-the-table clash.

Newcastle’s dip in form has seen them lose three successive league outings ahead of this encounter, conceding the opening goal inside the first 30 minutes of play on all of those occasions and allowing at least one more subsequently in the second half. Keeping a clean sheet will be vital in the hosts’ efforts to find a way out of a severe crisis, as both of their top-flight victories this term saw them shut out their opponents. The clean-sheet theme is in line with Newcastle’s recent successes in A-League home H2Hs with Brisbane, as all three of their previous home wins against this rival saw them keep a blank sheet. A lack of home goals could be setting them back though, given that they’ve netted one goal or less in three of four top-flight outings at this venue so far this season.

As for the visitors, they’ve suffered back-to-back A-League defeats in the build-up to this trip, going down via a multiple-goal margin on both of those occasions. It will be a daunting prospect for Brisbane to bounce back here, as they’ve failed to pick up a single win in each of their five top-flight road trips this term, losing the last three (D2, L3). Interestingly, all of their three away goals scored so far have come on or beyond the 85th minute, as they remain the only side in A-League that is yet to find the net in the first-half of top-flight away action played. Additionally, 56% of their total league away goals conceded have come before the halftime whistle, with Brisbane shipping an away opener inside the first 15 minutes of play on two occasions already.