Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory face the unique experience of playing facing off again at the same venue for the second time in four days, as Kevin Muscat’s men look to wrap up the A-League minor Premiership.
Revenge will be on the minds of the home team as Brisbane Roar look to get something back for the midweek 2-1 defeat to the Victory, as well as dent their minor premiership hopes. Now with a three-point gap over their closest challengers, the Victory will be looking to all but cement their place as the champions of the home and away stage of the competition.
Berisha marked his 100th A-League appearance on Wednesday with the winning goal, number 60 in his time in the A-League, and will need to hit his stride with the finals only two games away. On the other hand, Brisbane can use an improved second-half performance on Wednesday night as a platform for this weekend’s game.
This game may prove to be the decider for Melbourne Victory’s title chances, as a win in Brisbane will keep them three points clear with only one game to play, and they hold a much superior goal difference (22) over the other title aspirants such as Sydney FC (15). There is no better way to inspire a team than with a championship on offer.
Key Battle – Matt McKay vs Mark Milligan
Midfield versus midfield, Matt McKay versus Mark Milligan, it is the centre of the field where this game will be won. Both captains have had wonderful seasons, and can claim to be teammates for the Asian Cup Champions. They provide the fulcrum for both their squads and keep both teams ticking along. Whichever gains an advantage over the other throughout the duration of the game will become a central figure to a victory.
During the midweek fixture, Milligan looked to attack more, leaving Carl Valeri in the true defensive-midfielder position, therefore gaining more freedom. He was instrumental in linking with Fahid Ben Khalfallah, and in turn provided an extra thrust through the field as the Brisbane Roar line failed to handle the strength and chemistry of Melbourne Victory.
Contrastingly, McKay had almost too much to do. He scored a well-taken goal, covered every blade of grass, and attacked and defended until the final minute, but did not finish with the desired result. He needs the players around him to support the pressure he provides in defence and allow him to move forward in situations, much like the role Milligan was afforded.
Team News
Brandon Borrello looks likely to return for this fixture after missing the midweek game through a knee knock from the clash with Adelaide. Jade North and Michael Theo continue to near their return, however, they may be kept away for another week in order to make sure they are in perfect condition for the finals. Luke DeVere picked up a suspected quad injury, and is unsure if he will be able to play on the weekend. If not, then youngster Lachlan Jackson may be given his starting debut for Brisbane Roar in a big occasion for the youth team player.
Brisbane Roar expected XI (4-3-3): Young, Hingert, Jackson, Donachie, Brown, Lustica, McKay, Brattan, Solórzano, Kaluderovic, Broich
Lawrence Thomas will continue in goals as Nathan Coe’s mystery injury persists, otherwise the Victory have a fit and firing squad right at the perfect time of the season, a most daunting prospect for all other A-League final hopefuls.
Melbourne Victory Expected XI (4-3-3): Thomas, Georgievski, Delpierre, Ansell, Geria, Valeri, Milligan, Barbarouses, Ben Khalfallah, Berisha, Thompson
Head-to-Head
Over the 25 fixtures between these two teams, Brisbane have won 10 to the Victory’s 12, while only five games have finished drawn. Furthermore, there is an average of 2.8 goals per game between these two sides, pointing towards a high scoring affair.
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Prediction
While Brisbane will be confident of turning around the midweek result, the Melbourne Victory squad is a class or two above. They continue to play the best football in the league and better Brisbane across all positions on the field. It will take a mighty performance from the home side, but that is what might be needed to get the squad into gear for the finals.
Brisbane Roar 1 Melbourne Victory 3
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