A-League – Match Preview – Newcastle Jets v Melbourne City

A-League – Match Preview – Newcastle Jets v Melbourne City [VIDEO]

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The Jets host Melbourne City this Sunday afternoon in a clash of teams whose seasons appear to be headed in opposite directions.

Newcastle head into the clash under the burden of poor form in recent weeks that has seen them slide down the ladder after a promising start to the season. The Jets went down 1-0 to Sydney FC last week which stretched their winless run to five matches. The Novocastrians have only managed to pick up 3 points out of a possible 15 as they have slid from the top 3 down to 7th position.

The last time they won was against their opponents this weekend on 30th of October but a lot has changed since then.

City, by contrast, have been in superb form in recent weeks, led by the stunning performances of Aaron Mooy, Harry Novillo and Bruno Fornaroli. They have racked up consecutive 5-1 victories against Perth Glory and Central Coast Mariners respectively to become the first team in A-League history to score 5 goals in ensuing matches. They come to Newcastle full of confidence and ready to test a Newcastle defence that has conceded the most shots on target of any side this season.

Key Battle – Mark Birighitti vs Bruno Fornaroli

Make no mistake; Birighitti is the reason that the Jets are still on the edge of finals calculations. He has saved 80.5% of shots on target this season and has single-handedly kept Newcastle in games through his agility and shot-stopping ability. Talk of a return to the Socceroos squad in the near future would be no less than the Jets Gloveman deserves.

Fornaroli has been nothing short of sensational since arriving on Australian shores. The Uruguayan is currently the leader in the Golden Boot race with seven strikes and his intelligence and movement has troubled all defences. Whoever comes out on top in this battle will shape the fortunes of their side on Sunday afternoon.

Team News

Newcastle will stick with their favoured 4-2-3-1 formation but could welcome back some key personnel for the match. Captain Nigel Boogaard has been sighted on the training track for the first time in two weeks and looks likely to resume his position at the heart of the Jets defence. Brazilian import Leonardo appears likely to come up, with Scott Miller admitting this week that he will have to manage his linchpin throughout the season due to a knee issue.

Newcastle Jets (4-2-3-1): Birighitti; Hoffman, Boogaard, Jackson, Lee Ki-Je; Poljak, Kantarovski; Alivodic, Leonardo, Carney; Trifunovic

City looks likely to utilise Marquee Man Robert Koren in some capacity this week as he returns from a calf injury. He will be a massive addition to a team that is in fine form and gives his manager John Van’t Schip extra options to take into this clash.

Melbourne City (4-3-3): Sorenson; Franjic, Chapman, Kisnorbo, Clisby; Melling, Mooy, Paartalu; Mauk, Fornaroli, Novillo

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Head-to-Head

The Jets hold the slightest of advantages over City with seven wins to the Melburnians six, with three draws. The trip to Newcastle should hold no fears for the visitor though as they prevailed 5-2 the last time these two met at Hunter Stadium last season.

Previous Meeting

It was one of the finest moments in the Jets history as they overcame a 2-0 half-time deficit to overcome City 3-2 back in Round five. A Milos Trifunovic brace and a Ben Kantarovski header cancelled out earlier strikes from Aaron Mooy and Stefan Mauk.

Prediction

Newcastle has been tough to score against in recent weeks but have also offered very little in the final third of the pitch as injuries start to take hold of a youthful and inexperienced squad.

City are flying and will be buoyed by the return of Koren, who will add an extra weapon to an already impressive attacking outfit. Their defence is shaky but they should have enough firepower to overcome a stubborn but possibly outclassed Jets side.

Newcastle Jets 1 Melbourne City 3

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