As bitter rivals Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC prepare to go to battle again at Stadium Australia on Saturday, both teams know that there's more than just the three points at stake.

Wollongong's Tate Russell is no stranger to the occasion, having represented the Wanderers in two of the three derbies last season.

So do these teams genuinely hate each other? Or is there mutual respect when they step on to the ground?

"There's a bit of both. There's some mutual respect, especially because some of the boys know each other from playing for past clubs and all that. But I still want to smack them," Russell said.

"The derby is almost unrivaled, especially with the fans, to any other game for the rest of the season. The energy from the players on the pitch and the people in the stands bring you up that extra 10 per cent."

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Saturday night will mark Sydney FC's first game in a fortnight, having kicked off their A-League campaign with a 2-1 win over the Phoenix. Russell, who lines up at left wing back, said the Wanderers' defence would need to be on their toes against a potent sky blues' attack.

"They're a quality side, all over the park. They were last year and seemed that way again from what we saw against Wellington. So I think there's no one particular player that we have to look out for, they all have strong attributes," he said.

"It's good in the way we want to play because we have people that I know will cover me, and I'm going to cover other people. I know that I've got quality players behind me to protect me, and I'll protect them too."

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It shapes as a crucial game for Western Sydney. After dropping their season opener to Macarthur FC, Carl Robinson's men claimed a 2-1 win over the coach's old side, Newcastle, on Friday night. It was Russell who delivered the knock-out blow, launching a rocket from the edge of the box to give them a two-goal advantage.

"It came off the foot perfectly, it was unreal. Sometimes you just know when you hit that sweet spot, you just have a feeling it will hit the back of the net. When I looked up and saw the net rattling, I was so happy," Russell, 21, said.

"Newcastle are a strong side and there was a lot of emotion there, especially with what happened in the off-season. So it was a big win for us."

Since arriving, Russell said Robinson had had a big impact on the squad.

"Even the difference between last week's game and this week's game, I think we've built that self belief and self confidence to play. That was one of the biggest things he harped on about after that first game against Macarthur, and I think we showed more bravery in the way we played," he said.

"Coming off the back of a win is probably the perfect way to go into a derby. Hopefully it will give us that momentum to get the win against Sydney."