Head Coach Robbie Fowler is expecting another tough outing against Melbourne City on Sunday, as they prepare to face the league’s third-placed side for the first time at AAMI Park this season.
The Roar are unbeaten in two meetings with City this season, having beaten them in a 4-3 classic at Redcliffe’s Dolphin Stadium before a tense draw at Suncorp Stadium seven weeks ago.
The Head Coach is confident ahead of the clash, but is expecting another tough contest against the Citizens.
“We’ve played against them twice and we’ve had two really good games. We’ve scored six goals in the two games so it proves that we can play and compete against the top teams,” Fowler said at Brisbane Airport on Saturday.
“They [City] are a good team, they’ve got real individual quality players and they’ve proven this year when they can put in performances, that they’re more than a match for anyone.
“We’ve matched them twice but we’ve got to go out there tomorrow and work that little bit harder. Maybe a little bit tougher because it’s away from home but our lads are ready.”
The Roar come into Round 21 on the back of some impressive defensive performances, having only conceded three goals in the six games since their last clash with Sunday’s opponents.
Clean sheets have been a key pillar of the Roar’s rise up the ladder, and Fowler wants to see more of the same from his side on Sunday.
“We want to score more goals but we’ll take clean sheets every day of the week. With the players that we have going forward, we can score goals and I think that we’ve proven that,” he continued.
“We want to score goals but if you look at the performances between now and this season where the Brisbane Roar were conceding goals left right and centre, the confidence was really down. This year, confidence wise it’s really good,” Fowler added.
“We’re a big strong team, the mentality that we’ve got is absolutely incredible and we’ve proven time and time again over the last couple of months what a good bunch of characters we have in the starting line-up and the lads who come on as well.”
“We’re not resting on our laurels, we’re not particularly happy being where we are, we want to go further up the table and we’ll try and do that.”
MATCH DETAILS
Hyundai A-League 2019/20 – Round 21: Melbourne City v Brisbane Roar
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Sunday, 1 March (5:30pm KO QLD time)
BRISBANE ROAR SQUAD
Goalkeepers: 1.Max CROCOMBE, 21.Jamie YOUNG
Defenders: 2.Scott NEVILLE, 3.Corey BROWN, Daniel BOWLES, 5.Tom ALDRED (c), 6.Macaulay GILLESPHEY, 15.Aaron REARDON, 19.Jack HINGERT, 22.Jake MCGING, 27.Kai TREWIN
Midfielders: 8.Jacob PEPPER, 12.Aiden O’NEILL, 25.Rahmat AKBARI, 26.Jay O’SHEA
Attackers: 10.Bradden INMAN, 20.Aaron AMADI-HOLLOWAY, 23.Dylan WENZEL-HALLS, 30.Mirza MURATOVIC, 77.Scott MCDONALD **2-4 to be omitted**
Ins: 22.Jake MCGING (promoted), 27.Kai TREWIN (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 29.Jordan COURTNEY-PERKINS (knee – TBC)
