Adelaide United skipper Travis Dodd believes the closeness of the squad will hold them in good stead. After making it through to the Asian Football Confederations final last month, the Reds have had a grueling fixture recently and Dodd says they will be better for it.

"It's been a hectic couple of months, been a challenge for everyone, and the players have definitely grown closer," he said.

"We've spent a lot of time away and been in each other's back pockets for a while, so I think the team atmosphere has definitely brought the players together a lot more, and hopefully we can keep it going."