The eighteenth installment of the Melbourne Derby kicks off Saturday night and it couldn’t come at a better time for both sides.
A testament to how quickly things can change in football, it’s hard to decide which of these two teams has had the more remarkable month: a Melbourne City side that has scored 14 goals in three consecutive wins, or a Melbourne Victory side that has fallen from cloud nine and will be hoping to avoid a string of four consecutive A-League defeats for the first time in their history.
Victory will hope to avoid that unwanted record but will have to do it the hard way, playing their third match away from home, even if this one is only around the corner, in the space of a week. The Victory looked out of sorts in their 1-0 loss to Perth Glory midweek, perhaps suffering from tired legs after being involved in one of the matches of the season only days earlier as they went down 2-0 to the Western Sydney Wanderers.
This being said, Kevin Muscat should relish the chance to play their crosstown rivals as a way of firing his side up and reigniting the title defense that looked so promising only weeks ago.
It’s hard to picture how things could be any more different headed into this one for City. The club has three on the trot and is firing on all cylinders after their 4-0 win and second half decimation of the Newcastle Jets last weekend. Uruguayan import and Golden Boot leader, Bruno Fornaroli snagged a brace, while Aaron Mooy’s phenomenal season rolled on with two goals and an assist of his own.
Although perhaps what would please John van’t Schip most about the performance was his side’s concentration defensively as they grabbed their first clean sheet of the season.
Key battle – Aaron Mooy vs Oliver Bozanic/Rashid Mahazi
Mooy’s prolific season rolls on as he notched his sixth goal, taking him to second on the Golden Boot standings, only behind teammate Bruno Fornaroli, and seventh assist, a league high, for the campaign last week. Expect this match, like the many derbies before it to be played at breakneck speed and expect Mooy to set the tempo for his side as he has done so far this season. The equation is fairly simple for the Victory’s holding midfielders, disrupt Mooy and his influence and you should disrupt City’s rhythm. Simple, right?
Team news
Don’t expect any drastic changes to Van’t Schip’s side, his current formula has produced nine goals in the last two games and a clean sheet on top of that. However, the news of Connor Chapman being sidelined with a torn MCL for up to three months, has forced City into a straight swap at the back with the return of Northern Ireland international Aaron Hughes from his extended lay off with a calf injury. Hernan Espoindola and Matt Millar also join the extended squad list for the derby.
The A-League’s all-time leading goal scorer, Archie Thompson, makes his long anticipated return from injury but is unlikely to start in the derby. Victory will also be buoyed by the return of centre-half pairing Matthieu Delpierre and Thomas Deng to the extended squad, the duo both missed the midweek clash with Perth Glory.
Head-to-Head
The Victory comes into this clash looking to add another triumph to the longest derby winning streak in the history of the fixture, having grabbed bragging rights on the past three occasions. They also hold a small advantage with eight wins to City’s five in the overall head-to-head.
Previous Meeting
One of the other contenders for match of the season saw a 90th minute winner from Besart Berisha produce a fitting end to an already epic contest when the sides last met back in round two. Victory were 3-2 winners on the day and if this one is anything like that then we are in for a treat.
Prediction
Leave the formbooks at the door; they have no place in the Melbourne derby. In saying that, it’s safe to assume the game will be played at a rapid pace as it just comes naturally to both these sides.
The major questions for the teams remain at the attacking end of the ground. Victory’s front three will be hungry after being rendered uncharacteristically scoreless and largely ineffective this past month. Expect them to bounce back against the questionable City back four without Connor Chapman. WIll that be enough to compete with City’s attacking prowess? Not sure – but expect goals.
Melbourne City 1 Melbourne Victory 3
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