Sydney, Wanderers trade derby barbs

Oct 18, 2017 - 4:57 AM Sydney FC insist Allianz Stadium is their fortress, but A-League rivals Western Sydney are calling it their own home ground for a week.

Wanderers defender Brendan Hamill says the Sky Blues' venue will be decked out in a different shade in the first Sydney derby of the season on Saturday night.

"It's our home game for sure," he said on Wednesday.

"It's pretty much 60 per cent red and 40 per cent blue when you go to Allianz.

"(Wanderers fans are) so passionate and so loud, other away games we hear them. They're magnificent and they're our 12th and 13th man."

The result in the most recent derby is certainly not lost on the Wanderers.

After 1000 days without a derby success, Western Sydney beat Graham Arnold's side 1-0 for their sole defeat of a magnificent title-winning campaign.

Stoking the flames further, Hamill said the failure to record a perfect season "probably" haunted the Sky Blues.

"They probably think they're invincible but they're not," he said.

"We also played them at Allianz and got a draw and we could have stolen that win.

"It was good for us to make sure they didn't get the undefeated run, I don't think they deserved it."

Unsurprisingly, championship-winning midfielder Brandon O'Neill was nonplussed by the Wanderers' talk.

The 23-year-old dismissed last year's defeat - which came at ANZ Stadium in February - and returned fire with his confidence in the Sky Blues' ability.

"We don't really think about that. It was last season," he said.

"To have a derby at Allianz where it's a fortress for us, it's going to be good.

"We go into every game expecting to win if we play the way we want to play and we do the things we know we can do.

"It will be no different this Saturday."

Sydney marquee man Adrian Mierzejewski is in doubt for the round three match after an early substitution in their 3-2 triumph over Wellington on Sunday.

The Pole limped off early in the second half, complaining of tightness and pain.

O'Neill couldn't confirm whether he would take part in the match but said the 30-year-old wasn't about to die wondering.

"He knows the reputation the Sydney derby has and he mentioned to the boys its one game he wants to be playing in," O'Neill said.

"He's doing everything he can to make sure he's on the park."

Source: AAP