- Adelaide Cobras have lost 2 home games in a row.
- Cumberland United have performed best away from home, winning 3 of 7 league games on their travels (D1, L3).
Two similar clubs, two very different styles
Adelaide Cobras and Cumberland United will be well acquainted with each other by now, with both clubs sharing a desire to play with the ball while maintaining structure, however they are very different in terms of their style of play.
Cobras have a possession-based approach and like to get players into wide areas quickly to stretch the opposition with pace. They play with tempo, with their wide players very dangerous when the team can transition from defence to attack at speed. They have, however, been in pretty poor form lately, winning just 1 and losing 4 of their last 5 league matches.
United, on the other hand, like to play with a lower tempo, sit compact and prefer vertical passes to try and break through the middle of the park. Their strength will come from catching Cobras on the break and from set pieces, and they have had a mixed run of form of late, winning 2 and losing 3 of their last 5 league fixtures.
Local bragging rights up for grabs
A couple of the past encounters between these two clubs have been in the finals, so there's definitely some local rivalry to add some spice to this mid-season clash. Cobras ended their losing streak last week with a determined 2-0 away win over South Adelaide, but United have been the more consistent side so far this season and may have the momentum.
Cobras have won only 1 of their 6 home league fixtures this term and have suffered 5 defeats, which will make United confident of their chances here. United have only averaged 1.43 goals scored and 1 goal conceded per game on their away games this season, which shows that they are solid and pragmatic when on their travels.
United to edge out a tight contest
Cobras are a much more attack-minded team than United, which is why they are conceding an average of 2.17 goals per home league game so far this term (13 goals in 6 matches). United's defence is organised and they will make life tough for them.
The Over 2.5 goals market is available at 1.5 here, which seems a bit crazy. United are odds on at 2.46, and Cobras at 2.33, which tells us that this will be a close game, but that the visitors have the value here.
Games between these sides have been close when played at this venue in recent times, with both sides averaging just 0.5 goals scored per match over the last 5 head-to-heads played at this ground. We're expecting a close match, but United's consistency on the road and threat on the counter makes them just favourites.
