A big 2v3 clash that will write another chapter in the eternal Adelaide vs Melbourne rivalry. Adelaide were comprehensively outplayed by Central Coast last week, they were lucky to only lose 2 goals to 1. They will still be without Eugene Galekovic although Paul Izzo was comfortable enough despite his error to allow Josh Rose to equalise. Adelaide were insipid, after a fortuitous long range goal from Djite put them in front they didn't look at all like they could keep the lead, surrendered the lead before the break, and were defensive suspect, giving chance after chance to the Mariners. Kosmina will need to adjust his lineup if he wants to have any hope of being tactically superior to Ange Postecoglu. As always, Kosmina will rely on the sense of occasion and his motivation skill over tactical flair and game-changing substitutions, but that might not be enough for the second week in a row.

Melbourne are on fire lately, Marco Rojas is putting his name forward for the player of the year trophy, and a certain move to Europe should he continue his outstanding form. Melbourne scored a 1-0 win over Perth Glory in their last start and never looked like losing. Nathan Coe has slotted in very well, a far sight from the likes of Velaphi in the early season. Ange Postecoglu has got his squad firing and learning his possession based tactics and it's begun to work. Marcos Flores will make his long-awaited return to Adelaide, but for the away team and will be given a huge serve from the home support. Melbourne are a better team, in better form, with a better manager. Only some miracle individual play from Jeronimo and Vidosic will enable the Reds to get anything from this match.

Prediction: 3-1 Melbourne Victory.

Two teams with bad form, Melbourne Heart only managed a dour, goal-less draw against cellar dwellers Sydney FC last weekend but they were the away team so perhaps it wasn't the worst result. Heart have lost Aziz Behich and Richard Garcia to international duty, and compounded that by losing Ben Garuccio to an ankle problem for the next month. Heart haven't won since round 6 and they are starting to lose touch with the top 6. If they do win they could end up 5th but even then other results will likely see them fall back down the table once more.

Perth Glory haven't won since Round 5's 3-2 win over Newcastle although the Glory have earned some points through a number of draws. They gladly welcome back Jacob burns from suspension and Liam Miller from the injury he suffered during the warm-up of their 1-0 loss to Melbourne Victory. They have lost some defensive talent in Scott Jamieson and Michael Thwaite due to international duty but their lineup appears stronger than the Heart line-up. Burns, Miller, Smeltz, Mehment, Vukovic should be able to handle the Heart no problem at all. A win will push them back up to 4th, which will be good for Ian Ferguson, who is rumoured to be a few more losses away from being shown the door by Tony Sage.

Prediction: 2-0 Glory.

Another huge rivalry match this round, the F3 Derby. Newcastle find themselves in 4th position despite a fiery 1-0 loss in Brisbane last round. Their injury and suspension toll continues to rise, they are still without Kennedy and Birighitti their two first-team keepers, Tiago Calvano, Ben Kantarovski and Jobe Wheelhouse to injury, they lost Josh Mitchell due to his stupid red card last week, and Ryan Griffiths due to a one-game yellow card accumulation. Finally they are without Adam Taggart who is getting more time for the Socceroos in the EAFF qualifiers than he has in recent Jets games. They are down to a bare-bones squad, although it is a young and hungry squad with some experience and the big frame of Emile Heskey to lead the line. Newcastle's last win came in Round 6 against the Wanderers and the odds will be against them in this match.

Central Coast haven't lost a match since the Round 3 F3 derby and they are out for revenge. They are flying high on top of the table having downed the previous league leaders Adelaide 2-1 away. Michael McGlinchey and Daniel McBreen are in career-best form, and are being supported very well by the likes of Josh Rose, Pedj Bojic, Ibini and Nick Montgomery. They have adjusted well to the loss of Rogic and Mat Ryan to the Socceroos and are well on track to win a 3rd Premiership. The Jets will battle hard but don't have the quality and consistency that the Mariners do and this will be their downfall. These derby matches can thrown up the odd upset but I think it is a remote possibility.

Prediction: 2-0 Mariners.

This is a match of two near-unwatchable teams. Wellington needed the luck of the wind and turf to score the only goal in their 1-0 defeat of the Wanderers, and should have conceded two stone-wall penalties. Lady luck shined on the Phoenix last week, this week must be a better performance at both ends of the pitch. Their form in the last 3 games has been 2 wins with a draw against Perth sandwiched in between, with 3 losses in a row before that. Jeremy Brockie has scored 4 goals from those last 3 matches and Sydney FC will need to shut him down. If they can win again they could jump above Newcastle to 4th spot but would be in range to challenge Melbourne Victory for 3rd should they lose in this round.

Frank Farina has stepped up the training schedule for Sydney FC, introducing double sessions and increasing the length they go for. Del Piero is out for at least this match with a hamstring issue and that is a huge loss for Sydney. The last time they played a match without Del Piero they went down 7-2 against the Mariners. Wellington aren't as good as Central Coast are but will still punish Sydney should they continue to play without determination. The conditions could play a major role in this match, typical Wellington wind and rain could mean a closer game than if clear skies prevailed. In the end this is a match Wellington should win. Sydney FC will hope to grind an away point or a smash and grab victory.

Prediction: 3-0 Wellington.

This is the second ever meeting between the current Champions and the new kids on the bloc. The first meeting ended in the biggest upset in A-League history, with Mark Bridge scoring the first ever goal to give the Wanderers their first ever win. The Wanderers form is topsy-turvy. They have lost at home despite having an extra man, after going to Perth and winning with a man less. Getting on the score sheet in this match is almost as important as winning the match itself, with the Sydney Derby coming up in round 11. All eyes will once again be on who Tony Popovic chooses to lead the line. They will still be without star player Aaron Mooy who has been warming the pine on Duty with the Socceroos but Youssouf Hersi is back from his 2 game suspension. A win could see them as high as 4th position depending on other results. The Wanderers have had little luck from the referees, but have everyone in the squad fit and ready to play. Popovic wants a response from his side after their loss last week.

Brisbane are buoyed by the availability of talisman play maker Thomas Broich who had his red card rescinded by the Match Review Panel. The Roar have lost Matt Smith and Ivan Franjic to Socceroos duty. The Roar are beginning to get back their winning mentality and Berisha is in deadly form. The Roar are not a team to underestimate and can punish any team in the league on their day. Brisbane will have learnt from their early season defeat and coach Rado Vidosic will be wary of a Wanderers team who will be fired up for this home clash. Both teams are on 10 points, and both will want to win this game. It could be a free flowing open match that should result in a lot of chances. It could go either way or could be a draw.

Prediction: 2-1 Wanderers.