The Wellington Phoenix have trained at Sky Stadium on the eve of their sixth round Isuzu UTE A-League match against Adelaide United to try and help turnaround the team’s home form.
The Phoenix have lost their past two matches in Wellington, to Auckland FC and Macarthur FC respectively, after winning just one of their home games last season.
Head coach Giancarlo Italiano held his pre-training meeting in the Yellow Fever zone.
“I wanted the players to get the feel of home games,” Italiano told media after training on Friday.
“It’s been a place where we’ve struggled a late, the last year and a bit.
“I wanted to make a couple of points about the fans, how important they are and how we need them in the game.
“And training on the pitch helps us get that feel.”
Italiano also hopes spending more time at Sky Stadium helps them start the match better than they did against Auckland and Macarthur.
“At home it’s inexcusable that you have a slow start.
“Even if it’s not working with the ball, you can still press, you can still keep that intensity.
“We’ve been doing those things well intermittently. It’s more about keeping it up for 90 minutes which is the struggle.
“It’s also a confidence thing as well. The more they have belief in the system and belief in each other, more importantly, the easier it is to start well.
“If we start well tomorrow, we press well and we score early it’ll go a long way to making sure we have that for the rest of the season.”
He says the defeat to Macarthur was harder to take than the derby.
“Last week I think Macarthur were there to be beaten. I was disappointed with the start, and I think in the end not starting well in the first 15 maybe cost us a little bit in terms of getting into the game.
“I still think we should have got something out of the game, that’s the disappointing part.
“This week we’re going back to what our playing model and philosophy is and making sure that we’re consistent for 90 minutes.
“The boys are actually really focussed on wanting to correct the form. They want to win this week, lead into next week and start building.”
Adelaide United, under new head coach Airton Andrioli, are fresh off an impressive 4-1 win over reigning champions Melbourne City.
Giancarlo Italiano admires how the Reds operate on and off the pitch.
“Very similar to our playing model. Very good with the ball [and] they’ve got a lot of speed.
“They obviously have (Socceroos forward) [Craig] Goodwin. I think [Luka] Jovanovic has a really bright future. He’s a very mobile nine and is very dangerous in broken phases.
“We’re very similar in terms of structure and in terms of where we are in the market. We’re one team cities. We’re not in a congested area where there’s a lot of competition.
“I think our budgets are very similar as well in terms of recruitment and so on.
“They put a lot of faith in their younger players…no different to what we’re doing here as well.”
Italiano says Adelaide are one of the best teams to watch in the A-League.
“It’s good for the league. Adelaide, Newcastle as well, they’re good teams to watch in terms of being on the front foot and so on.
“As a coach I like coaching against that. It’s nice to play against.
“We respect everything they do, and we’ll make sure we’re fully focussed tomorrow.
“At home they’re very strong. But we’re at home.
“We’re going to take the initiative against them and it’ll be a good watch with two teams that try to play good football.”
Adelaide United have won only six of their previous 24 matches against the Phoenix on this side of the Tasman.
The round six Isuzu UTE A-League match between the Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United is scheduled to kick-off at Sky Stadium in Wellington at 5pm Saturday and will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sport 1 in New Zealand and on Paramount+ in Australia.
Most recent meeting: 18 April 2025 – Adelaide United 3 Wellington Phoenix 2
All-time A-League head-to-head: Phoenix 12W, Adelaide 24W & 15D.
Wellington Phoenix squad (two to be omitted): 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 3. Corban PIPER, 4. Manjrekar JAMES, 5. Fin ROA CONCHIE, 7. Ifeanyi EZE, 11. Carlo ARMIENTO, 12. Dan EDWARDS, 14. Alex RUFER (c), 15. Isaac HUGHES, 17. Gabriel SLOANE-RODRIGUES, 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD, 20. Ramy NAJJARINE, 23. Luke SUPYK, 24. Xuan LOKE, 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA, 27. Matt SHERIDAN, 29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH, 37. Anaru CASSIDY, 39. Jayden SMITH, 40. Eamonn MCCARRON (gk).
Unavailable: 6. Tim PAYNE (injured), 8. Paulo RETRE (injured), 9. Hideki ISHIGE (injured), 10. Nikola MILEUSNIC (injured), 19. Nathan WALKER (injured).
Adelaide United squad (two to be omitted): 3. Bart VRIENDS, 4. Panagiotis KIKIANIS, 7. Ryan KITTO, 9. Luka JOVANOVIĆ, 10. Juan MUÑIZ, 11. Craig GOODWIN (c), 12. Jonny YULL, 14. Jay BARNETT, 19. Yaya DUKULY, 22. Joshua SMITS (gk), 23. Luke DUZEL, 36. Panashe MADANHA, 40. Ethan COX (gk), 42. Austin AYOUBI, 44. Ryan WHITE, 55. Ethan ALAGICH, 58. Harry CRAWFORD, 62. Fabian TALLADIRA, 65. Joey GARUCCIO, 71. Vinko STANISIC.
Unavailable: 20. Dylan PIERIAS (suspended).
Main image: Wellington Phoenix players warm up for training at Sky Stadium on Friday. Photo: Cam McIntosh/Photomac.
