Adelaide United vs Sydney Prediction: High-scoring contest at Coopers

Adelaide United continued their unbeaten start to the 2024/25 Australian A-League Men's season by beating reigning Premiership champions Central Coast Mariners 4-0 last weekend. Their next opponents, Sydney FC, are eight points worse off after seven games and have lost their last two.

Below is my Adelaide United vs Sydney prediction, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of Friday's head-to-head at Coopers Stadium (08:35, TNT Sports 1).

Team News

Ben Folami is back from suspension for Adelaide United but Jordan Elsey, Bailey O'Neil and Ethan Cox are all still in 'individual training' as they continue their recoveries from injury.

Josh Cavallo, meanwhile, has been omitted from the extended squad.

Up front, Archie Goodwin is expected to lead the line for a third straight game after opening the scoring in last Friday's 4-0 thrashing of Central Coast Mariners in Gosford, leaving Luka Jovanovic to settle for a place on the bench.

Football Odds

Sydney will be without four-goal top scorer Patryk Klimala for the first time this term with a groin injury ruling the Polish striker out of Friday's fixture. As a result, Pat Wood is expected to start up top, flanked by Joe Lolley and Douglas Costa. Corey Hollman, meanwhile, is still out injured.

Goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares will return from suspension after serving a one-game ban in last weekend's 4-3 defeat to Western United, but it remains to be seen whether he will be restored to the starting XI, or if veteran shot-stopper Andrew Redmayne will keep his place.

Adelaide United vs Sydney Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Adelaide United vs Sydney page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Adelaide are 23/20 to rack up a third straight victory in December, giving the Reds an implied win probability of 46.5%, while Sydney are 7/4, or a 36.4% chance, to bounce back from successive defeats with all three points at Coopers Stadium.

The draw is priced at 13/5, both teams to score at 4/11, and over 3.5 total goals at 10/11.

Jovanovic (13/10) heads the anytime goalscorer market, followed by Goodwin (11/8).

Total Goals - Over 4.5 @ 9/4

Adelaide and Sydney are two of the ALM's great entertainers this season, averaging 3.7 goals per game and four goals per game, respectively; only Brisbane Roar (4.4) and Western Sydney Wanderers (4.1) have been involved in more goals per game than the Sky Blues in 2024/25.

The Reds, meanwhile, are the division's top scorers, netting 17 goals (2.4 p/g) across their opening seven matches.

These scoring statistics should, in theory, set us up for an entertaining contest at Coopers on Friday. Adelaide have seen two of their ALM contests this term finish with five or more goals; the first was a 4-3 victory over another Sydney side, the Wanderers, on November 2, and the second was a 3-2 win over the Roar at Allianz Arena in Sydney on November 23 as part of the league's 'Unite Round'.

Friday's visitors to Adelaide, meanwhile, have been involved in three ALM games this season where the selection of over 4.5 goals has landed. First, they beat the Roar 3-2 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on November 1, then local rivals WSW at Allianz Arena on November 23, before losing 4-3 at home to Western United last time out.

Sydney beat Adelaide 2-1 at home in their last head-to-head on February 17 but the two previous meetings between the two sides saw over 4.5 total goals easily land. There were seven strikes in the Reds' 4-3 victory over the Sky Blues at Coopers on January 13 and six in a 5-1 win for Ufuk Talay's team at the same venue in November 2023.

Half (three) of Sydney's six AFC Champions League 2 contests this season have also seen at least five goals scored, so goals do tend to follow the Sky Blues.

Considering all of the above, I'm backing a Friday frenzy at Coopers, with over 4.5 total goals providing good value at 9/4.

Anytime Goalscorer - Joe Lolley (SYD) @ 7/4

Sydney's talisman Lolley is now three games without a goal and has been struggling with an injury this season that saw him miss two league games in November. He has completed both of the Sky Blues' ALM matches this month, however, registering an assist in defeats to the Mariners (2-1) and Western United (3-4), so appears to be getting back to full sharpness.

The 32-year-old struck twice in his first three league games this term, opening the scoring in a 2-1 win over the Wanderers at CommBank Stadium in October and repeating the feat in last month's reverse fixture at Allianz Stadium, which his side won 4-2. He's also struck once in the AFC Champions League 2 group stage, netting in a 4-1 victory over Filipino side Kaya in Manila.

Lolley has an impressive goalscoring record in this fixture, bagging five times in as many appearances against Adelaide, although he failed to fire in his side's February win over the Reds.

The former Nottingham Forest attacker scored a brace in his first two outings against the Reds last season, however, with a couple coming at Friday's venue, Coopers Stadium, last November.

I think he can get back on track this week against one of his favourite opponents.

Offers

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