Auckland — Western Sydney Wanderers: 1:3, Friendlies Clubs

Western Sydney Wanderers beat Auckland 3:1 in a friendly at the start of September. The match ended with the visitors taking all three points after a scattered first half and a quiet second. B. Borrello sealed the result late on.

Auckland opened the scoring just before the break, but the Wanderers answered twice in the same breath. Both goals came at the 45-minute mark, flipping the momentum before either side could settle. Borrello added a third when the clock hit ninety.

Neither side dominated possession, splitting it evenly at 50 percent. Auckland managed 75 attacks to their opponents' 83, while corners were a rare commodity — one each. The match lacked the usual rhythm of a competitive fixture, which is fair enough for a friendly.

Auckland's recent run shows a club still finding its feet. A 1:0 win over Sydney and a 3:0 victory against Adelaide United were followed by draws and losses elsewhere. The Wanderers have been less consistent, with heavy defeats and narrow wins scattering their results.

The final score sits at 3:1 to Western Sydney. Auckland finished with one yellow card, the Wanderers with two. There was nothing dramatic in the statistics, but the three goals at the half-hour mark told the story.