He’s got an A-League Premiership and Championship medal to his name but is yet to claim bragging rights in a Sydney Derby, however Alex Baumjohann isn’t fazed by that statistic.
The German midfielder has enjoyed considerable success since moving to the Sky Blues in 2019, and his Sydney Derby record is the added motivation Sydney FC are drawing on heading into Saturday night’s showdown at Bankwest Stadium.
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“I want to win every game, especially derbies, they’re my ex-club so it would be nice to win this game,” Baumjohann said.
“But the most important thing is trophies, if you win just the derbies and you don’t have silverware in your hands at the end of the season that doesn’t make you happy.
“For me personally it’s a big game, we’re all looking forward to it.
“Since I’m here we haven’t beaten them so I’m really looking forward to it. We’re in good form, haven’t lost in six games and they’re five or six games without a win.
“We’re confident we can beat them on Saturday and I’m excited for the game.”
Baumjohann said he’s expecting his former employers to throw everything at the Sky Blues on Saturday, as the Wanderers look to snap a three-year Finals Series drought.
For the Sky Blues, the squad will be drawing on Tuesday night’s Big Blue win as Head Coach Steve Corica’s men look to close the gap on ladder leaders Melbourne City.
“It’s a derby, they play at home and if you look at the table, if they lose it will be hard for them to qualify for the finals,” he said.
“They’re three years without making the top six and it will be a big hit for them if they don’t make it again.
“They have the pressure because they need to make the top six, they’ll fight for their lives but I think we have enough quality to beat them. We just have to play our football, be calm and patient.
“Tuesday wasn’t the most attractive game to watch, we started well, but the most important thing is the points,” he continued.
“There were games before where we dominated and ended with just one point. What matters is the three points, we won the Big Blue on Tuesday and that will give us a boost on Saturday.
“We’re still one point behind City and our main target is to be top of the league and win the Grand Final.
“We need to win all our games and get as many points as we can, we take every game like it’s a final for us.”
Sydney FC face the Wanderers at Bankwest Stadium in a massive Sydney Derby on Saturday night (kick off 7pm AEST).
