Melbourne Victory are top of the A-League table after Gui Finkler’s brace helped secure a 2-1 win over the Central Coast Mariners at AAMI Park.
A last minute goal to Mariners’ substitute Matt Sim, whose glancing header found its way past Danny Vukovic pulled one back for the visitors, but it was too little too late.
Victory set up their win with a dominant first-half display which included two sublime goals from Gui Finkler in three minutes. The Brazilian opened the scoring after a neat one two-with Oliver Bozanic, including a cheeky back heel to open up the defence from Victory’s marquee man, with Finkler finishing coolly.
He then doubled Victory’s advantage from a free-kick with a stunning, curling effort that went around the wall and beyond Paul Izzo in the Mariners’ goal.
While Central Coast were much improved in the second-half, they failed to look threatening in front of goal. The visitors were lucky to keep all 11 men on the pitch, with a nasty challenge from Roy O’Donovan on Leigh Broxham looking to be worthy of a red card upon review.
Both Victory and the Mariners have extended breaks, nine and 10 days respectively, before their next matches.
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Comparing the two team structures
Victory’s tried and tested 4-3-3 formation has brought them success and continues to do so. There has been a slight evolution in this setup, thanks to the departure of Mark Milligan and the consequent inclusion of Bozanic, but for the most part, it is the same formula which brought two trophies in 2014-15.
The Mariners used a 4-3-2-1 lineup with Roy O’Donovan leading the charge. A formation which appears to be very defensive, the visitors had most of their players in the midfield, hoping to fill the space and make it difficult for the Victory to transition.
Throughout the match it was clear which side was more comfortable with and, more importantly, sticking to their setup. At the back, Victory’s back four were never too far away from each other, with clear lines of defence and midfield – Mahazi and Bozanic sitting in front of the centre of defence – with Ben Khalfallah and Barbarouses tracking back on the wings.
Looking at the Mariners, there was no cohesion and it was much harder to see the structure of their defence. They do have some very young players, tinkering with their lineup a lot due to injuries and players leaving.
The two sides have very different structures and two very different game plans being instilled by their respective coaches. When coming up against one another these differences were made all the more evident.
READ MORE: Fan Reaction [VIDEO] – Melbourne Victory 2 Central Coast Mariners 1
Victory’s midfield is as strong as ever
Victory’s midfield trio has not been entirely settled this season, but whichever combination of players Muscat puts on the park, they seem to deliver. The partnership between Bozanic and Finkler has been building nicely and, as shown through their combination for the first goal, it is one which is beginning to show on the scoreboard too.
As mentioned above, Muscat’s formation evolution has been centred on the midfield. Where they used to play with two holding-midfielders and Finkler as the creative driving force, Bozanic’s signing has switched that up.
As shown above, the three white marks in the centre circle best show how the Victory’s midfield has changed. There is still the definitive holding-midfielder in Mahazi and the creative midfielder in Finkler. Bozanic is able to float between those two roles, combining with the playmaker in attack as well as dropping back to assist Mahazi in defence.
Melbourne’s midfield was everywhere and they were incredibly effective.
Mariners defence needs a rebuild
With a second-choice goalkeeper between the sticks, one of their more experienced defenders leaving the club and most recently, their two young centre-backs have served a one match suspension and suffered an injury respectively. Things in the Mariners back-half have been tumultuous this season.
However, amid all this chopping and changing, the Mariners’ defence preformed pretty well last night. When compared with Victory’s back four, the visitors made a higher percentage of tackles and won mire aerial duels, also making more intercepts and blocking more shots.
This, coupled with the statistic that the Mariners have scored in every game so far this season, means there is potential in this team.
Melbourne Victory conclusion
It was the result everyone expected but perhaps was not executed as convincingly as some would have thought. Finkler’s goals highlight how he is as important to the Victory’s forward line as the three players in front of him.
Melbourne seemed to drop-off in the latter stages, but their first-half performance was enough to secure them all three points.
They have had an excellent few weeks, winning the FFA Cup, beating Sydney in the grand final rematch and now sitting top of the table with a game in hand. Everything seems to be going according to plan for the Victory.
Central Coast Mariners conclusion
Sim’s last minute goal, his second in as many matches, was the highlight for the Mariners in this game. There have been a few off-field dramas at the club, but whether that has affected on-field performance is something that cannot truly be judged.
The Mariners have been scoring regularly but cannot keep the goals out. This year is looking increasingly like a chance for Tony Walmsley to give plenty of time to the young players in his squad, preparing them for the future.
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