Following back-to-back losses, Melbourne Victory head to nib Stadium in search of a much-needed win over Perth Glory.
Everything was perfect for Melbourne Victory two weeks ago. Top of the table on the back of four straight wins and with an FFA Cup already in the bag, talk of a historic treble was underway (although perhaps prematurely). Since then, things have gone downhill. A loss to Wellington in atrocious conditions (clashing kits and state of the pitch) was initially seen as a misstep, but an away loss to the Western Sydney Wanderers in a top-of-the-table, primetime blockbuster raised further concerns. The Victory now find themselves in fourth spot, heading to Perth knowing nothing less than a win will do.
The Glory were in similar circumstances come last Saturday night, although their predicament was slightly more severe. Winless in six games, they knew a positive result was a must against fellow cellar dwellers Central Coast Mariners. After an underwhelming first-half it looked like their misery would continue, however, two goals in the space of four minutes from Nebojsa Marinkovic saved their blushes, as they held out the Mariners to head into this weekend’s game with some much-needed confidence.
Key battle – Gyorgy Sandor vs Rashid Mahazi/Leigh Broxham
The importance of Gyorgy Sandor to the Glory has already been touched upon this season and it showed with him on the sidelines. His return from injury was a further illustration, well shackled by Nick Montgomery in the middle of the park early last weekend, as the Mariners’ skipper pressured the Hungarian by always closing him down and never allowing time on the ball. When Perth got back into the game through Marinkovic’s quick double though, Sandor’s influence on the team was noticeable. With the visitors chasing the game, he was able to find more space, slow down the tempo, retain possession and hit some penetrating passes.
Rashid Mahazi has already seen more playing time this season than he did in all of 2014-15 for the Victory. The youngster has stepped into Carl Valeri’s holding-midfield role, as the veteran battles a worrying brain condition. Replacing the Victory’s captain is a tough ask, and it will be Mahazi’s role to restrict Sandor’s influence, as Valeri did so well in the FFA Cup Final.
Of course, that is if he plays. Victory fans have been disappointed with the youngster’s performances of late, so it will be interesting to see if coach Kevin Muscat agrees and decides to bench him. If that is the case, there is a chance club stalwart Leigh Broxham moves from full back to holding-midfield. While it will leave a hole at right-back, Broxham is better defensively than Mahazi, and his experience in the middle of the park could be vital. Whoever starts in the middle, should know the best chance of stopping Perth is shutting down Sandor.
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Team News
Perth welcome back Josh Risdon after missing the last three games through injury, but it remains to be seen whether they will rush the fullback back into action against Melbourne’s all-star attack. Hagi Gligor has also been promoted to the matchday squad, but expect to see the same side which beat the Mariners on the weekend.
Scott Galloway and Jesse Makarounas have been added to the side travelling west and with another game back in Melbourne next Saturday, expect to see a few players rested for the clash with Perth. Carl Valeri is still out indefinitely after it was revealed he had an inflammatory brain condition, and veteran centre back Matthieu Delpierre could be rested.
Head-to-head
Despite the Victory’s dominance and Perth’s disappointment in the A-League era, the two teams hold a fairly even record against each other, with the former’s 12 wins just edging out the latter’s 11. However, the hosts hold a good record over Melbourne at nib Stadium, winning eight to Melbourne’s five.
Previous Meeting
The FFA Cup Final was the last matchup between these two teams, and despite the promise of silverware, it was a rather one-sided affair. Melbourne dominated from the outset and first-half goals to Oliver Bozanic and Besart Berisha sent them on their way in an impressive show of force. While the Victory let their foot off the pedal in the latter stages and let the Glory back into the game, their lead was never really threatened and even the late sending-off of Valeri was not enough to spoil the party.
Prediction
Two losses in a row is unacceptable for a club of Melbourne’s pedigree. They will be disappointed with their recent performances and now finding themselves in fourth place, we will find out what the reigning champions are made of. Having already beaten Perth convincingly this season, they will be confident of picking up another win.
Despite their win over the weekend and home ground advantage, the Glory will be underdogs and that may be just how they like it. Michael Thwaite mentioned the team were still hurting from their FFA Cup loss to the Victory – this could be the perfect chance to exact revenge, against an already battered Melbourne side. However, the first-half against the Mariners proved there are still holes in this Glory outfit which the visitors can and should exploit. Despite their recent form, the visitors should take this one.
Perth Glory 0 Melbourne Victory 1
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