The Wellington Phoenix are realistic in their expectations as they prepare to face EFL Championship side Wrexham in the capital tomorrow.
The Red Dragons, owned by Hollywood pair Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, will be hosted by the A-League club in a pre-season friendly for the final match of theirtour Downunder.
Yet despite the fandom that circulates around the Welsh club, on and off the pitch, Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano told Herald NOW that he expected the fixture to remain relatively low-key.
“Speaking honestly, [the match] was a little bit unexpected in terms of preparation,” Italiano revealed.
“To expect the team to be ready to play 90 minutes, let alone against a quality opponent, it becomes very difficult only being two weeks into preseason.
The Wellington Phoenix finished 11th in the A-League last season. Photo / Photosport
“But they are also underdone, so it’s not really an excuse. It’s just that it might mean the quality of the match might not be where it would be if both teams were in season.”
The match comes as Wrexham prepare for their return to the second tier of English football for the first time since 1982.
Since 2023, they have had three successive promotions from non-league football to the Championship, one tier below the Premier League.
They have also risen to fame since featuring in the Disney+ series Welcome to Wrexham.
The Phoenix, meanwhile, are preparing for their 19th season in the A-League, aiming to bounce back from a disappointing season in which they finished 11th.
“We’re going to give it a very good shout,” Italiano said.
“We’re not going into that game with 100% hope. We’re very respectful of Wrexham, where they’re at.”
He told Herald NOW that fans could expect a refreshed squad, as the club had made efforts to turn things around since last season’s underwhelming ending.
“We had an internal review, we had a lot of good insight that came through those processes. The football side, player welfare and in terms of how the players approach the season and how they’ve dealt with expectations.
“So there’s going to be a lot of changes. With player personnel, maybe three or four players, but we have enough of a grounding there or a platform there that we can do really well this season.”
Wellington may not be the underdogs many expect for tomorrow’s match, despite the TAB offering odds of $6.50 on them winning.
“It’s be a good game, good energy," Wellington Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano said ahead of their match against Wrexham AFC. Photo / Photosport.
Wrexham beat Melbourne Victory 3-0 at Marvel Stadium last week with about 37,000 fans in attendance. However, on Tuesday, they fell 2-1 to Sydney FC at a sold-out Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
Italiano said he hoped the two clubs would put on a show, regardless of their state of preparedness.
“They’re early in their preseason, like us. In saying that, I saw them train a little bit; they’re doing some heavy loading for their preseason.”
Despite neither side being at their peak, Italiano promises it will be a spectacle for the 25,000 fans expected at Sky Stadium.
“It’s going to be a good game, good energy.”
When asked whether he was a fan of his upcoming opponents, he said: “I can honestly say I’ve probably seen about five minutes of the first episode [of the documentary].
“I’m a little bit time-poor here with my role, so I don’t get to watch a lot of TV. So when I do, I’m very selective.”
Bonnie Jansen is a multimedia journalist in the NZME sports team. She was named New Zealand’s Best Up and Coming journalist in 2025. She’s a football commentator and co-host of the Football Fever podcast and was part of the Te Rito cadetship scheme before becoming a fulltime journalist.
