Round 20 kicks off on Friday night with Melbourne Victory hosting old rivals Adelaide United at AAMI Park
Adelaide’s chances of breaking Victory
Despite this clash being touted as ‘the original rivalry’, Adelaide’s back will be against the wall when they head to Melbourne on Friday. Against the Victory, United are without a win in their last eight encounters, dating back to February 2013 when they downed Melbourne 1-0 in South Australia. However, with the visitors undefeated in their last 11 games this season and proving a major force heading into the finals, Guillermo Amor’s men will see round 20’s clash as as good a chance as ever to break tradition.
Melbourne’s supporter situation
Last weekend saw Western Sydney downed 5-2 by Wellington Phoenix following a tumultuous week off the field thanks to poor ‘fan’ behaviour. With Victory’s ‘fans’ taking centre stage this week and the club being handed a $50,000 fine and three suspended points, the pressure will be on for the reigning champions to prove off-field drama will not affect their on-field performance. Given the quality of Victory’s opposition this weekend, Kevin Muscat will have to have worked hard on his side’s character, and ensure the spotlight on their fans has not weakened their preparations or they could drop further down the ladder.
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Defence over attack
Both sides boast more than capable attacks, with Melbourne bagging 13 goals in their last six matches, while Adelaide have nabbed 16 – meaning the result at AAMI Park will come down to their quality at the back. On that front, Victory have the slight upper hand over the past month and a half, having conceded six to the Reds’ seven and only one of those on home turf, compared to United’s four on the road. Regardless of the potency of either sides’ attack, if they cannot prioritise defence, they will likely throw away three crucial points.
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