Reds not Sydney FC's bogey team: Djite

Adelaide United striker Bruce Djite doesn't think Sydney FC view them as a bogey team, but nonetheless has warned Graham Arnold's visiting outfit they'll have to be on their game on Friday night to beat them.

The Sky Blues haven't won an A-League match in Adelaide since February 2012 and have lost five of their past seven meetings, including December's 2-1 away defeat.

Such a record is enough to fuel hoodoo talk as the sides prepare to meet again at Coopers Stadium.

But Djite didn't think the mental aspect was that simple.

"I don't think they look at us as a bogey team," he said.

"If they did, the motivation will be to quash any sort of ideas that that might be the case," Djite said.

"I think they look at us as a difficult team to beat.

"They haven't had a good run against us the last couple of seasons, and they're going to have to be on top of their game if they want to take any points from us."

That said, Djite is also wary of Sydney, who will be especially motivated to rebound from back-to-back losses.

United have flown partly under the radar, quietly accruing points on a nine-game unbeaten streak to lift them from the bottom of the table to sixth - a win over Sydney could provisionally lift them as high as third.

Their 4-1 win over second-placed Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium two weeks ago left the competition's pacesetters in no doubt as to what Guillermo Amor's side were capable of.

Djite believes rivals are finally holding this season's Reds in the same high regard as Josep Gombau's successful squad of last campaign.

"I think now we have the respect that maybe we had last season from all the teams in the league again," Djite said.

"Not that they take a backward step (against us), but they acknowledge we're a force to be reckoned with now."

Round 18 signals the start of a challenging finish to Adelaide's home-and-away season.

Of their final 10 matches, seven are against higher-placed opposition.

Also a factor is the Reds' Asian Champions League (ACL) campaign, which kicks off only four days after the clash with Sydney.

Amor said he might look at resting players, given the short turnaround ,before they host Chinese outfit Shandong Luneng Taishan in Tuesday's playoff.

The winner will progress into the group stage starting later this month.

Djite said the Sydney match had to be prioritised over the ACL, given the mental implications it could have on their performance against Shandong.

"If we play well tomorrow night, then that puts you in good stead for Tuesday night," he said.

"So it's important everyone concentrates on tomorrow night."