Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix: Prediction, Lineups, Kickoff Time | A-League 2025/26

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Match Preview

The A-League action continues into the New Year as high-flying Brisbane Roar host a struggling Wellington Phoenix at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, 3 January 2026.¹ The Roar are buzzing after a dramatic 2–1 New Year’s Eve victory over the Central Coast Mariners, a result that solidified their spot in 3rd place with 18 points.² Conversely, the Wellington Phoenix are licking their wounds after a humiliating 1–5 defeat to Melbourne Victory just days ago. Sitting 10th and missing key players, the visitors face a daunting task against a Brisbane side brimming with confidence.+1

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Match Info

• Competition: Isuzu UTE A-League (Matchday 11)³
• Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (Capacity: 52,500)⁴
• Date: Saturday, 3 January 2026
• Kickoff: 16:00 AEST (Local) | 17:00 AEDT | 06:00 GMT
• Referee: TBC (Football Australia Appointment)

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Match Stakes

Brisbane Roar (3rd — 18 pts):

• Win → Moves to 21 pts; keeps pressure on the league leaders (Auckland FC & Sydney FC).
• Draw → Extends unbeaten run to 3 games; maintains a strong top-4 position.
• Loss → A missed opportunity at home; allows Adelaide United and Macarthur to close the gap.

Wellington Phoenix (10th — 11 pts):

• Win → Moves to 14 pts; a massive morale boost that could lift them to 8th.
• Draw → Stops the rot after the 1–5 thrashing; stabilizes the defense.
• Loss → Third defeat in four games; risks slipping further away from the finals places.

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Team News

Brisbane Roar:

• Mileusnic N. — Out (Injury – Pace on wing missing)
• Stajic M. — Out (Hamstring Injury)
• Amanatidis N. — Out (Muscle Injury)
• Ferkranus M. — Out (Muscle Injury)
• Burke-Gilroy A. — Out (Foot Injury)
• O’Shea J. — Available (Captain & Key playmaker).

Wellington Phoenix:

• Oluwayemi J. — Out (Injury – Starting GK Missing)
• Ishige H. — Out (Injury – Creative Spark Missing)
• Payne T. — Out (Inactive)
• Supyk L. — Out (Injury)
• Walker N. — Out (Inactive)
• Edwards D. — Out (Inactive)
• Crisis at the back: Without key defensive options and their first-choice goalkeeper, the Phoenix are extremely vulnerable.

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)

Brisbane Roar

• 31/12 — 2–1 vs Central Coast Mariners (A-League)⁵
• 19/12 — 1–2 vs Macarthur FC (A-League)⁶
• 13/12 — 0–0 vs WS Wanderers (A-League)⁷
• 07/12 — 1–0 vs Adelaide United (A-League)
• 28/11 — 1–0 vs Melbourne Victory (A-League)⁸

Wellington Phoenix

• 29/12 — 1–5 vs Melbourne Victory (A-League)⁹
• 21/12 — 3–1 vs Central Coast Mariners (A-League)¹⁰
• 14/12 — 1–3 vs Newcastle Jets (A-League)
• 06/12 — 1–3 vs Auckland FC (A-League)
• 29/11 — 2–1 vs Adelaide United (A-League)

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)

• 26/10/2025 — Wellington Phoenix 2–1 Brisbane Roar (A-League)
• 14/05/2025 — Wellington Phoenix 1–0 Brisbane Roar (Australia Cup)
• 26/04/2025 — Brisbane Roar 1–0 Wellington Phoenix (A-League)¹¹
• 06/02/2025 — Wellington Phoenix 1–1 Brisbane Roar (A-League)
• 31/03/2024 — Wellington Phoenix 1–0 Brisbane Roar (A-League)

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)

Brisbane Roar (4-2-3-1)

Freke; Hingert, Trewin, Aldred, Brown; Caletti, O’Shea; Halloran, Jelacic, Lofthouse; Waddingham

Wellington Phoenix (4-3-3)

Kelly-Heald (Alby); Sheridan, Hughes, Wootton, Sutton; Rufer, Nagasawa, Conchie; Barbarouses, Eze, van Hattum

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Impact Bench

Brisbane Roar: Vidic (Impact scorer vs Mariners), Berenguer (Experience)12

Wellington Phoenix: Sloane-Rodrigues (Young talent), Kraev (Creative option)

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Tactical Analysis

Brisbane Roar

Ruben Zadkovich’s side (or current manager) is resilient. They showed great character to come back and win on NYE. At Suncorp, they will look to control possession through Jay O’Shea. With Mileusnic out, the width will come from overlapping full-backs. They will target Wellington’s makeshift goalkeeper, likely testing him with early shots and crosses.

Wellington Phoenix

Giancarlo Italiano faces a defensive crisis. Conceding 5 goals last game was a disaster, and losing goalkeeper Oluwayemi makes it worse. They will likely try to sit deep and protect the young keeper, hitting long balls to Ifeanyi Eze. However, their midfield lacks the control to stop O’Shea, meaning they could be pinned back for long periods.

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Key Battles

• Waddingham vs Wootton — Young striker vs experienced defender.
• O’Shea vs Rufer — Battle of the captains in midfield.
• Halloran vs Sutton — Pace vs positioning on the flank.
• Freke vs Eze — Roar GK vs Phoenix’s top goal threat.

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Spotlight Players

Brisbane Roar — Jay O’Shea

The Irishman is the maestro of the A-League. His ability to dictate tempo and deliver lethal set-pieces makes him the most dangerous player on the pitch, especially against a disorganized Phoenix defense.

Wellington Phoenix — Ifeanyi Eze

In a team struggling for goals and form, Eze is the bright spark. He has the physicality to trouble Brisbane’s defense, but he needs service which has been lacking.

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Prediction

Brisbane Roar 3–0 Wellington Phoenix

The contrast in morale is stark. Brisbane are flying after a gutsy away win, while Wellington were demolished in their last outing and have lost their starting goalkeeper. The Roar should have too much quality and organization for a depleted Phoenix side at home.

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Betting Insights

• Brisbane Roar to Win — High Probability.
• Brisbane Roar -1.5 Handicap — Value Bet (Given Phoenix’s defensive woes).
• Jay O’Shea to Score or Assist — Likely.

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — Where to Watch

• Australia: Paramount+, 10 Bold
• New Zealand: Sky Sport
• International: YouTube (KeepUp – Select Regions)

Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix — FAQs

Q: When is the Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix match?

A: The match kicks off on Saturday, 3 January 2026, at 16:00 AEST (Local time).

Q: Is Joshua Oluwayemi playing?

A: No. The Phoenix goalkeeper is out with an injury.

Q: Who is the favorite?

A: Brisbane Roar are heavy favorites due to home advantage and superior form.

Call to Action — SportsphereArena Community

Can the Roar pile misery on the Nix?

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