Besart Berisha after winning the grand final with Roar. Anything is possible in his first match against his old team. Photograph: DAVE HUNT/AAPIMAGE

The A-League round opens with Melbourne Victory hosting Brisbane Roar in what could prove to be a pivotal result come the end of the season. These two could well meet in the finals’ series, or perhaps even the grand final. Many would be comfortable with the notion of Melbourne reaching the season decider. Many, however, believe the Roar glory era will be recorded in the A-League history books as 2010-14. Last week’s 4-0 romp over an admittedly awful Newcastle Jets could be just the morale-boost they need to revive their season. Brisbane have just one win to their name, yet sit only three points outside the six. More importantly they have the quality in most positions except, arguably, in the No9 role. And the reason for that weakness will provide the major sub-plot at Etihad Stadium. Besart Berisha’s much-publicised off-season move to the Victory has left a gaping hole for the Roar. Arguably he is the missing piece of the Victory puzzle. Sure enough the Victory are comfortably top-scorers in the competition, and it would be slightly surprising if that were not the case come season’s end. As for the Berlin-raised Albanian-born Berisha, anything could happen on Friday night. The crazy eyes, and the why-didn’t-you-pass-it-to-me gesticulations are sure to be on display even more so than normal, although he ostensibly exited the Roar with little rancour. A hat-trick or a red card are possibilities, perhaps even both. Whichever way you look at it, the champs against the pretenders is likely to provide the most aesthetically pleasing contest of the round.

“It’s almost a case of running on memory, it’s virtually the same team we are putting out every week,” said the newly jovial Perth Glory coach Kenny Lowe after last weekend’s win over Western Sydney Wanderers; their fifth from six outings. Last season it took the Glory 14 games to achieve five wins. Lowe cut a morose, if phlegmatic figure, by season’s end. Now he is loving life. Suddenly it is almost a case of managing expectations in the success-starved WA capital ahead of Wellington Phoenix’s visit. Of course this is famously the A-League’s longest away trip, and by most reckonings is the longest top-flight domestic match-up in the world following Vladivostok’s relegation from the Russian Premier League a few years back.

The question remains what mentality the Phoenix will bring after their obvious intent to settle for a point in Adelaide last weekend. With Michael McGlinchey and Jeremy Brockie returning from international duty for New Zealand, they will surely more ambitious. The other burning question is who will win the “scissors, paper, rock” to take Perth’s free-kicks; Scott Jamieson or Nebojsa Marinkovic.

After their much reported journeys across Asia, and even across the A-League continent (i.e. Perth and Wellington), Western Sydney Wanderers finally have some time to enjoy the familiar surrounds of Wanderland. Their low-key scoreless draw against Central Coast Mariners on Wednesday almost suggests they are still disorientated by the recent physical and emotional journeys. Finally the fixture list has offered a positive for the Wanderers with the visit of Newcastle Jets. Rarely will the Wanderers have a better chance of kick-starting their domestic season than this Saturday. A failure to do so, combined with the looming distraction that is the Club World Cup, would leave the Wanderers facing a rapidly heightening hurdle. Incredibly, despite their status as recently crowned Asian kings, the Wanderers have not won domestically since April. Four A-League defeats and that infamous FFA Cup exit against Adelaide City was their record until Wednesday’s draw against the Mariners. Coach Tony Popovic, having rested most of his big names for last week’s visit to Perth, will certainly have circled this fixture on the calendar as a three-pointer.

This week’s team to be “under pressure” is Newcastle. Their capitulation against Brisbane was described in some circles as the worst display in the club’s history. Poor as it was, the threat of coach Phil Stubbins losing his job seems an over-reaction in the context of a new-ish squad and a new manager. Like it or not, it is perhaps a sign of a mature football culture that a coach’s role is under pressure so quickly. Either way the Jets will do well to keep their cool if the Wanderers score early.

Melbourne City have the chance to put the pain of last Sunday behind them when Sydney FC visit for the first instalment of the “sky blue derby” in the Victorian capital. The impact of the marketing types means there are now more derbies in the competition than not. Perhaps a riff on new money and old money would be more appropriate given Melbourne City’s aspirational splashing of cash and Sydney FC’s original “Bling FC” moniker. This week will be another chance for Melbourne City to score early and fade late as again illustrated in last week’s 2-2 draw against the Mariners. Remarkably Melbourne have scored half of their goals this season in the first 15 minutes, yet conceded seven of their 12 goals in the final 30 minutes. Scoring at all will be a feat in itself on Saturday given Sydney’s goal has been unbreached for the past four matches over seven hours. Admittedly the Sky Blues have ridden their luck at times.

Graham Arnold said recently he is not in the entertainment business, and it is clear his side have spent many hours on the training paddock ensuring some comedic defending last term is a thing of the past. The club have enjoyed a coup this week with the signing of the highly regarded Terry Antonis on a two-year deal, but have seemingly lost in-form forward Corey Gameiro for the season with a torn knee ligament.

Fourteen points from the opening six matches equals Adelaide United’s best start to an A-League season. History says taking it a step further will be tough with Central Coast Mariners winning 10 of their past 12 against Adelaide. The out-of-form Central Coast go into this contest due a win , and maybe last week’s unlikely share of the spoils in Melbourne is the turning-point they need.

Adelaide’s stylish form has seen reports linking coach Josep Gombau to J-League club Yokohama F Marinos. It seems unlikely Gombau would leave given the rapid progress he is making at Adelaide. Hopefully too, there will be plenty more late goals for Adelaide during his tenure. After all it is hard not to enjoy the sight of middle-aged suited-man running down the sideline with all the élan of the school nerd being invited to play with the cool kids in the playground.

Friday : Melbourne Victory v Brisbane Roar, Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, 7.40pm

Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix, nib Stadium, 9.45pm

Saturday : Western Sydney Wanderers v Newcastle Jets, Pirtek Stadium, 5pm

Melbourne City v Sydney FC, AAMI Park, 7.30pm. Follow our live blog with Mike Hytner from 6:45pm

Sunday: Central Coast Mariners v Adelaide United, Central Coast Stadium, 5pm