- Perth RedStar FC have won 15 of the last 25 NPL Western Australia meetings against Balcatta, who have won just five times.
- Balcatta have lost four of their last five league games, their only recent win being a 2-1 victory over Perth Glory Youth.
- Perth RedStar have won four of their last five games, including tight victories over Stirling and Bayswater City.
High-press RedStar face Balcatta’s possession-based game
Perth RedStar FC are likely to be involved in a high-scoring encounter with 11th-placed Balcatta at Grindleford Reserve on Saturday. The RedStar play an attacking, high-press, fast-paced style of football that contrasts with Balcatta’s more considered possession-based approach, in which they prefer to build from the back and be calm in possession.
Callum Salmon’s men are having a great season so far, sitting third in the NPL Western Australia 2026 table with approximately 14 points from seven games and making a push for the top four. RedStar have won four of their last five, including grinding out two narrow wins over Stirling and Bayswater City.
Salmon has an experienced squad that will press high and push the ball into the final third quickly. Ryan Finnie will be the creative spark from midfield, providing assists for Daryl Nicoll - one of the league’s top scorers. Joel Chianese and Nyle Weale provide other attacking threats from midfield and up front.
Balcatta appointed Basil Lenzo as head coach after a poor start to the season, hoping the experience could add some intensity to a squad that appear to have a soft streak in them.
Lenzo is likely to be pleased with the match fitness and sharpness of his players after a narrow 2-1 win over Perth Glory Youth last Saturday. They sit in 11th place in the table with three points from their first seven games and have a worrying negative goal difference. Darius Ghinea, Charlie Betts and Jack Allen are some of the better players in the squad, but goals have been scarce and spread around the team with Jonathan Stynes providing experience in midfield.
RedStar have the firepower to finish off Balcatta
Balcatta would do well to get an upset on Saturday as that would be a massive boost in their battle against relegation and would make a statement to the rest of the NPL WA about the appointment of Lenzo. But RedStar are on a roll and have the superior firepower to make the game turn in their favour.
RedStar are odds on for the game, which may seem like a long shot at 1.59, but Balcatta are 4.26 and the draw is 4.2. RedStar will have the ball and create more clear-cut chances and there could be multiple goals in this game as there has been in many of the meetings of these clubs in recent seasons.
Over 2.5 goals is the selection for Saturday’s game at 1.55 as RedStar can finish off opponents when they get the chances and Balcatta do not have the ability to do that. The likely result here is a 2-0 or 3-1 away win because that is what RedStar have been doing this season, but Balcatta will make a game of it and it should be a good contest in the Western Australia sunshine.
