Preview: Sydney FC vs. Adelaide United - prediction, team

Coming off the back of a 1-1 draw against Melbourne City, Sydney FC welcome Adelaide United to the Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.

The visitors are second in the A-League table and could move past Central Coast Mariners into first place with a win.

Match preview

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Sydney fumbled their chance to move ahead of Melbourne City into third place as they were held to a 1-1 draw by the Melbourne outfit last time out.

With victory within touching distance, Patrick Kisnorbo 's side grabbed a dramatic equaliser when Jamie Maclaren converted from the penalty spot in the 98th minute.

That was Sydney's fifth draw of the season, and this has been a major hindrance to their rise up the table.

Their poor display in front of goal is another factor, as they have scored the joint-fewest goals of the top six sides in the division.

However, a win on Sunday could see Steve Corica 's men move into second place, as they have a stronger goal difference than the visitors.

Meanwhile, Adelaide United's charge to the summit of the A-League table resumed last week when they claimed a 3-1 win over Macarthur.

Tomi Juric and Matt Derbyshire scored for either side to finish the first half level, but second-half goals from Craig Goodwin and Ben Halloran handed the Reds their ninth win of the season.

Carl Veart 's men have now picked up 22 points from their last 27, and this run has seen them surge into second place in the league.

That rise has also been down to their impressive performances on home turf, where they boast the league's best record with six wins and one draw in eight games.

While victory could take Adelaide United to the top of the standings, they face an uphill battle when travelling to the Leichhardt Oval, where they have suffered defeat in their last four visits.

Sydney FC Australian A-League form:

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Adelaide United Australian A-League form:

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Team News

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There are no fresh injury concerns for the hosts, with Michael Zullo and Chris Zuvela still out with calf and knee injuries respectively.

With three goals and one assist in his last three games, Sydney's attack will once again be led by the in-form Kosta Barbarouses.

Adelaide will be without the services of Spanish midfielder Javi Lopez, who is sidelined with a knee problem.

He is joined on the treatment table by Mohamed Toure, who picked up a hamstring injury in the 2-1 win over Newcastle Jets on March 5.

Twenty-year-old Joe Gauci will once again start in goal for the visitors, as first-choice goalkeeper James Delianov remains out with a hamstring injury.

Sydney FC possible starting lineup:

Redmayne; King, McGowan, Wilkinson, Grant; Brattan, Baumjohann, Ninkovic, Retre; Barbarouses, Bobo

Adelaide United possible starting lineup:

Gauci; Strain, Elsey, Timotheou, Cavallo; Caletti, Juande; Halloran, Mauk, Goodwin; Juric

We say: Sydney FC 1-1 Adelaide United

Both sides come into this with a decent run of results and will be aiming to strengthen their position in the league standing. Adelaide United have managed just three wins on the road so far, and we expect they drop more points in this tie.

Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.