After sharing the points in a thrilling clash with the Wanderers last weekend, the Newcastle Jets now set their sights on last season’s Grand Finalists Sydney FC at Netsrata Jubilee Stadium this Saturday.
The clash will be the second consecutive away fixture for the Jets, and with both teams having identical results to start the season, both will be looking to claim their first win of the 2021/22 Isuzu UTE A-League campaign.
Sydney FC has been a bogey side for the Jets in seasons past, but with the Jets finding their goal-scoring mojo, our team will be confident of coming home with their first victory of the season.
NEWCASTLE JETS v SYDNEY FC
Date: Saturday, 4th December
Kick-off: 7:45 pm
Venue: Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
How to Watch: Paramount+
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Since: 2005
Played: 49
Jets: 9
Sydney FC: 29
Draw: 11
50TH LEAGUE CLASH
This weekend’s clash with Sydney FC marks the 50th fixture between the two sides, with both being foundation clubs from the A-League’s inception in 2005. Although the Jets have only tasted victory nine times, the fixture has produced some memorable moments over the years.
The two sides have only met at Jubilee Stadium three times before this weekend, with the Jets claiming their sole victory at the venue in Round 28 of the 2019/20 season, where Kosta Petratos produced the showstopper in the 90th minute to claim the victory.
Only Angus Thurgate, Jason Hoffman, Jordan O’Doherty, Jack Duncan and Valentino Yuel featured in our last professional fixture against Sydney from the expected lineups, which resulted in a 1-1 draw at McDonald Jones Stadium in Round 20 of last season.
This new look Jets side isn’t unfamiliar with Sydney however, with the two side’s meeting in a pre-season friendly in October. Since then, our opponents have failed to score in both of their opening two matches for the season – registering one draw and one loss, as too have our Jets.
SIMILAR STARTS
Sydney has finished each of the last five Isuzu UTE A-League seasons in the top two, and although they’ve stumbled in the early parts of this campaign, after a goalless season opener against Wanderers and then a 1-0 defeat to Macarthur, last week, they will always pose a challenging contest.
The Jets have found the back of the net on three occasions already this season, with Valentino Yuel’s header in the season opener to the Mariners, and then Beqa Mikeltadze’s and Olivier Boumal’s strikes in the 2-2 draw against the Wanderers last week. However, both team’s sit with a sole competition point.
Much has been said about the new style of play Manager Arthur Papas is aiming to implement this season and the open and aggressive football that has been on display in the opening rounds is starting to excite fans for the coming year.
This new era of the Jets has produced some enthralling attacking raids, with the side registering 11 shots on target across the opening two matches while Sydney have achieved seven.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Valentino Yuel (Newcastle Jets)
Valentino Yuel has arguably been one of our strongest performers over the opening rounds due to the attacking threat he’s displayed.
He highlighted that with a goal in the opening round against the Mariners, before then laying on the second goal for Oliver Boumal’s first goal in the A-League a week later.
Yuel worked his way back into the starting line up against Wanderers, and will look to cause havoc on both sides of the field when he lines up against Sydney with his incisive runs and dangerous footwork.
Whether it’s from the bench or in the starting XI, the 27-year-old’s high-energy style of play and work rate will see Sydney FC on high alert whenever he goes on the pitch.
Adam Le Fondre (Sydney FC)
Le Fondre has been a prolific goalscorer for Sydney since he joined from English League One side Bolton Wanderers in 2018, where he has gone on to net 39 goals during his tenure with the Sky Blue.
Hailing from Stockport, England, Le Fondre has a wealth of experience from his time across the English competitions and 34-has looked the most likely for Sydney during the opening rounds.
He’s had three shots on target from both games – the most of anyone in the team – and will be looking to re-capture his goal scoring form that’s seen him claim top goal-scoring honours for the club twice before.
STATS & FACTS
As the ledger suggests, Sydney has been the more dominant over the previous 49 meetings between the sides, with the Sky Blue claiming more league victories against the Jets than against any other club – 29 wins from 49 games.
However, the tides have begun to turn in the fixture as of late, with the last four matches between the sides being highly competitive with all decided by one goal at most.
The Jets have played Sydney FC away from home 25 times and unfortunately the stats don’t sit in our favour, after only collecting four wins.
Milos Ninkovic leads the goal tally in the fixture of the current players with seven goals but is still a long way from the leader who is Alex Brosque who managed to score 13 times.
