The Brisbane Lions have only made one appearance in Australia this season, which resulted in a 0-2 defeat to Auckland FC in the first round, so it seems particularly hasty to rush to judgment at such an early stage of the campaign. The impact of this clash is not to be underestimated as it is an Australian classic that takes place on Auckland FC's New Zealand home turf.
Looking back at last season, the Lions were in dire need of a strong forward line that could score more than 15 goals in a single season. The three best performers of last season only scored 7 goals in total, and Henry Holly has already left the team, leaving Sher Osha (with 3 penalties) and the young scorer Thomas Waddingham to perform as expected. In my opinion, Thomas Waddingham is expected to be a key player in the team's forward line in the next stage.
Also expected is Belgian-born player Kee Jin Jenasz. He is expected to form a good understanding with Thomas Waddingham in the attacking end.
Although FC Sydney narrowly defeated Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 in the first round of the league, but accidentally conceded a goal in the final round of extra time, and finally lost 0-1 to Auckland FC, and once again fell into the "hate".
As a matter of fact, FC Sydney would have had a good chance to get a draw on the road and keep a good start to the new season if not for the absence of Douglas Costa and the injury of Zuruli. Unfortunately, the absence of these two key players will undoubtedly have an impact on the team's overall performance.
In my opinion, Douglas Costa and Zuruli are key players for FC Sydney this season and their absence will be a major blow to the team's creativity and attacking ability.
FC Sydney, who are facing the same dilemma as Brisbane Lions, are also in need of a consistent scorer to solidify their defense. As such, I'm looking forward to the performance of former Ludi player Kilimara. Kilimara may be the next goal threat for the team, although I expect the number of goals to be limited in this match, with both sides struggling to break the deadlock.
