Saturday night sees the clash of the round take place at Etihad Stadium as Melbourne Victory take on league leaders Western Sydney.
Here are three major talking points ahead of the eagerly anticipated clash:
Melbourne’s home record
Western Sydney face the daunting task of facing Melbourne Victory at Etihad Stadium, who have an imperious record at the venue. Victory are undefeated in their past nine home games. Despite the Wanderers defeating Melbourne in their last meeting 2-0 at Pirkek Stadium, the Wanderers are without a win in the past three clashes away to last season’s reigning champions. Astonishingly, they have failed to collect three points on their travels to face Victory ever since their first match in Melbourne.
Can Western Sydney keep Victory’s attack at bay?
Victory’s front men have once again been the focal point of their successes this season. An experienced and clinical attack has found the back of the net in 12 of their 17 clashes this season. Western Sydney boast the second best defensive record in 2015/16, having conceded just 19 goals – two more than rivals Sydney FC – although their record against Victory is quite poor. In 10 meetings they have only successfully kept Kevin Muscat’s men scoreless twice. It’s imperative for the Wanderers to draw upon their defensive capabilities and restrict Victory’s improving attacking third, otherwise it could be another torrid evening in Melbourne.
Mark Bridge
What an underrated figure Mark Bridge has become. The 30-year-old is playing inspired football once again, channeling his scoring prowess of the first two hugely successful seasons for the Wanderers. With eight goals for the campaign and three in his past two outings, the veteran will look to combine with his attacking midfield counterpart Mitch Nichols to inflict damage on the Victory rearguard. Evidence supports Bridge’s case against Victory, scoring 10 goals and picking up 12 wins in a total of 26 games – a credible record against on of the competition’s most successful teams.
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