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Sky Blues awake and ready against Reds

3 minute read

Sydney FC haven't lost three matches in a row since 2013 and they'll be aiming to avoid matching that when they take on Adelaide United on Thursday night.

STEVE CORICA.
STEVE CORICA. Picture: Don Arnold/Getty Images

Sydney FC coach Steve Corica hopes their pair of losses will be the jolt they need before the A-League finals.

The Sky Blues were officially crowned Premiers Plate winners late last month.

But either side of that achievement they slumped to shock losses - a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle and a 2-0 loss to Melbourne City.

Corica believes complacency played a big factor in those defeats and he wants his players back on task for their final three regular-season games, starting with Thursday night's match against Adelaide United at ANZ Stadium.

"It's a good wake-up call," Corica said

"We played against two very good teams that wanted to make the top six and this is no different this week

"We definitely haven't hit peak form yet.

"The good thing is we still have three games to go in this season and then semis to do that.

"Let's give the boys credit as well, they've won the Premiership with four games to go.

"They've been the best side all season but they have slipped up the last couple of games and we need to fix that."

Adelaide have been one of the form teams since the season's resumption, posting two wins and a draw to move up to sixth spot.

Sydney will be without suspended midfielder Luke Brattan, while Adelaide will be boosted by the return of Al Hassan Toure from a hamstring injury.

STATS THAT MATTER

* Sydney FC are undefeated in their past 11 A-League games against Adelaide United, winning eight and drawing three.

* Sydney FC have lost their past two A-League matches. The last time they lost more in succession was a three-game stretch from October to November in 2013.

* Adelaide' United's Kristian Opseth has been directly involved in five goals in three games since the A-League resumed in July (three goals, two assists) - two more than any other player in that period.

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