Three key talking points to wet the appetite ahead of Saturday’s Melbourne Derby.
Will Victory end City’s incredible form?
Since an embarrassing 3-0 home loss to Western Sydney in round six, City have turned their season around, holding then league leaders Brisbane to a draw in Queensland before a three-game romp that has seen them net 14 goals with just two in response. However, coming up against local rivals Melbourne Victory, history could be the side’s undoing. Although City are certainly at their strongest on home soil, Kevin Muscat’s men are big-game specialists with three consecutive derby wins up their sleeve and in search of a much needed win.
Victory’s form free fall
It has been a tough fortnight for Melbourne Victory, who not only finish up their third game in a week as the visiting side in a local derby, but also head into the encounter off the back of three consecutive losses. While the side has not been drastically outplayed in any of their three loses, only diehard Victory fans would deny the team has lost some of the desire and inspiration that saw them picked as title favourites yet again this campaign. Facing a red-hot City outfit this weekend, the visitors will need to snap out of their form funk or suffer an unimaginable fourth loss on the trot.
Return of Archie Thompson
While the likes of Besart Berisha, Fahid Ben Khalfallah, Kosta Barbarouses and Gui Finkler provide enough artillery up front to have pulled off wins against Wellington, Western Sydney and Perth, none of the talented imports have the talisman-like effect of Archie Thompson. Despite having entered the latter years of his playing career, the former Australian representative and long-serving Victory forward has an insatiable appetite for goal and an undeniable ability to inspire fans and team mates alike. Returning from a long stay on the sidelines, should the 37-year-old take to the field he could well prove the key ingredient to turning around Melbourne’s run of form.
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