Brisbane Roar are up against Adelaide United in their final match of the 2023/24 Isuzu UTE A-League season at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Friday’s Round 26 clash pits eighth placed Roar against ninth placed Adelaide as the two sides who were both eliminated from finals contention battle to avoid a bottom four finish and secure qualification for the Australia Cup Round of 32.
Another key battle in Friday’s match will be two of the countries most exciting teenagers in Thomas Waddingham and Nestory Irankunda going head-to-head.
Irankunda who will play his final match in the competition before heading to Bayern Munich has broken the record for most goals by a teenager in a single A-League season with eight while Waddingham sits just two shy with six goals to his name so far.
Roar come into Friday’s match after playing out a 0-0 draw with Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Saturday while the Reds drew 3-3 with Western United in their last outing.
WHAT WAS SAID
“I’m very confident that we’re going to get back to being a top footballing team that takes the game to the opposition, playing an attacking aggressive brand of football that encapsulates the spirit and the DNA of Brisbane Roar and Queensland.” – Ruben Zadkovich
TEAM NEWS
Brisbane Roar welcome back Keegan Jelacic after the midfielder missed the last club’s last two matches while on International duty with the Olyroos at the U23 Asian Cup.
Marco Rojas remains sidelined with a hamstring injury that’s kept him out for three of the sides last four matches.
For the Reds, Giuseppe Bovalina comes out of the squad after finalising a move to MLS side, Vancouver Whitecaps FC while Yaya Dukuly, Panashe Madanha and Austin Ayoubi all return to the side.
BRFC Squad: 1. Macklin FREKE (GK), 3. Corey BROWN, 5. Tom ALDRED (C), 7. Florin BERENGUER, 8. Jonas MARKOVSKI, 10. Nikola MILEUSNIC, 11. Jez LOFTHOUSE, 12. Taras GOMULKA, 13. Henry HORE, 14. Rylan BROWNLIE, 16. Thomas WADDINGHAM, 19. Jack HINGERT, , 21. Antonee BURKE-GILROY, 23. Keegan JELACIC, 26. Jay O’SHEA, 27. Kai TREWIN, 29. Matt ACTON (GK), 32. James NIKOLOVSKI, 35. Louis ZABALA, 44. Ryan LETHLEAN
Ins: 23. Keegan JELACIC (returns from international duty)
Outs: N/A
Unavailable: 2. Scott NEVILLE (injury), 6. Joe CALETTI (injury), 20. Marco ROJAS (injury)
Adelaide United Squad: 1.James DELIANOV, 2.Harry VAN DER SAAG, 3.Ben WARLAND, 4.Nick ANSELL, 6.Stefan MAUK, 7.Ryan KITTO, 8.ISAIAS, 9.Hiroshi IBUSUKI, 10.Zach CLOUGH, 17.Luka JOVANOVIĆ, 19. Yaya DUKULY, 21.Javi LÓPEZ, 22.Ryan TUNNICLIFFE, 23.Luke DUZEL, 36.Panashe MADANHA, 37.Jonny YULL, 40.Ethan COX, 42.Austin AYOUBI, 55.Ethan ALAGICH, 66.Nestory IRANKUNDA
Ins: 19.Yaya DUKULY, 23.Luke DUZEL, 36.Panashe MADANHA, 42.Austin AYOUBI
Outs: 26.Ben HALLORAN, 43.Giuseppe BOVALINA, 49.Musa TOURE
Unavailable: 27.Josh CAVALLO (quad), 51.Panagiotis KIKIANIS (hamstring)
LAST TIME WE MET
Roar defeated Adelaide 2-0 thanks to second half strikes from Jez Lofthouse and Jay O’Shea when the two sides went head-to-head in the reverse fixture at Coopers Stadium in December.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Played: 57
Brisbane Roar wins: 20
Adelaide United wins: 26
Draws: 11
KEY STATS brought to you by Opta:
–Jay O’Shea (Brisbane Roar FC) has made 528 carries in the 2023/24 A-League Men season, more than any other player in the campaign; he’s made 5,038 metres from those carries – the third most of any player in the competition (Joe Lolley – 6,590 for Sydney FC and Nestory Irankunda – 5,188 for Adelaide United).
– Brisbane Roar FC (2.35 per game) and Adelaide United (2 per game) are two of the four teams to have been caught offside at least twice per game in the 2023/24 A-League Men season (Western Sydney Wanderers FC – 2.04 per game and Perth Glory – 2 per game).
– Brisbane Roar FC defeated Adelaide United 2-0 when they last met in the A-League Men (10 December 2023), snapping a seven-match winless run against them (D2 L5); the Roar will be aiming for back-to-back wins against the Reds in the competition for the first time since March 2018.
MATCH DETAILS
Isuzu UTE A-League Men 2023/24 – Round 26: Brisbane Roar v Adelaide United
Suncorp Stadium, Milton
Friday, 26 April (7:45pm KO)
TICKETS
