This Saturday sees last season’s grand finalists Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC return to AAMI Park for the first time since that famous 3-0 result as they contest the 34th instalment of the Big Blue.
However, the current state of both sides is a far cry from the two that finished first and second on last season’s A-League ladder. The original Melbourne and Sydney clubs face off ranked fifth and sixth respectively, with the current form of both sides leaving much to be desired.
Between the incredible openness of the A-League ladder and the added burden of the Asian Champions League (ACL), this match will prove to be a definitive moment in the fate of both teams’ 2015-16 campaigns.
Following on from last week’s 1-1 stalemate with cross-city rivals Western Sydney Wanderers, two derbies in the space of a week presents a tall order in itself for Sydney FC, let alone throwing in a midweek trip to Japan. The Sky Blues face Urawa Red Diamonds on Wednesday night, with a measly three-day turnaround to Saturday night’s clash at AAMI Park.
Victory too, however, are not immune to this ludicrously harsh recovery time, although they have the luxury of avoiding significant travel as they host Shanghai SIPG.
Debate has erupted regarding both Graham Arnold and Kevin Muscat’s recently announced squads for the ACL, specifically surrounding the enforced restriction of only three international players per club. Inevitably, superstar names were omitted from the two squads, as both coaches signal their intent to establish a roster that can succeed on multiple fronts.
Notably, Sydney’s marquee man Filip Hološko is out of the continental squad due to the risk associated with his re-occurring injury complaints, and if fit, is set to start on Saturday night. Defensive stalwart Jacques Faty is in the same boat as the Slovakian.
However, the same cannot be said for Victory’s equivalent Matthieu Delpierre, as he was controversially named in the squad to take on Asia at the expense of electrifying winger Fahid Ben Khalfallah and attacking midfielder Gui Finkler, who as a result, will be raring to go this weekend.
READ MORE: Melbourne Victory not taking ACL for granted
The actions of both coaches prove that the sides are not in any way downplaying this weekend’s Big Blue, and that we are sure to see a display of the historical ferocity and intensity that is inherently linked to this fixture.
Ultimately, it would be detrimental in the long-run for either side to overcommit to their midweek appointments. It is simply not going to happen. As a spectator, expect the match to be as intense as ever, with outstanding passion to be on show for the full 90 minutes. There should be enough fresh personnel starting, to make this happen. Because in the end, if either team fails to deliver, the reaction from the suffering set of fans would be far from pretty.
Worse still though, dropping out of the top six altogether would become a very real prospect, an almost unimaginable position for either of these two league powerhouses to find themselves in. The fact that a continuation of this horrid form for either side could result in a battle with the likes of Perth Glory (a team currently experiencing their own ‘purple patch’ of extraordinary proportions) for finals football, acts as added motivation. The idea that an emphatic victory would act as a springboard, reversing the winning team’s fortunes and launching it back towards the summit of the ladder, is enough to fight for in itself.
And with both teams situated on an even 29 points, down is not the only way to go. Only six points from the ladder leaders Western Sydney, it is not entirely unrealistic to rule out the title hopes of either side. In what is shaping as one of the most exciting, unpredictable title races in A-League history, the winner of this weekend’s match will re-affirm themselves in solid contention, while experiencing the added bonus hof watching the losing team sink to a position which will almost surely leave it out of reach of the top.
With both Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory having it all to play for with their seasons on the line this weekend, the Big Blue is sure to be a spectacle worth tuning in for. A fixture that historically produces goals in abundance, there has been no shortage of 3-2, 4-2 and 3-3 results over the years. Both sides are hoping and praying for a end to the uncharacteristic downwards spiral of form that they find themselves in.
The result: an intense, showpiece contest in the midst of a hectic run of fixtures for both sides, both domestically and continentally.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
