A-League – Match Preview – Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City

A-League – Match Preview – Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City

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Melbourne Victory host cross town rivals Melbourne City in the first edition of the Melbourne derby for season 2015-16.

Melbourne Victory would have been aiming to get their title defence off to a winning start against fierce rivals Adelaide United. However, with the sending off of Leigh Broxham, a point away and a clean sheet was an ideal result.

The reigning champions will be disappointed not to have scored against the Reds and Besart Berisha and Kosta Barbarouses in particular will be hungry to open their accounts for the season.

Melbourne City kicked off their season with a one all draw against Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium. Youth team product Wade Dekker scored his first A-League goal while offseason signing Thomas Sorenson was impressive down the other end of the pitch.

City recruited well in the offseason but they have one of the biggest injury lists in the league, meaning they have a host of Australian and international players missing from their lineup.

Key battle – Carl Valeri v Aaron Mooy

The key to City’s success lies in how much of an influence Aaron Mooy is allowed to have on the match from the centre of the park. The clear standout from last season, Mooy will be crucial in City’s transitional play from defence into attack and will provide a constant threat to Victory’s back four.

Carl Valeri, as the holding midfielder in Victory’s lineup, will be tasked with nullifying Mooy’s impact on the match in his first game of the new season, and his first A-League match since being appointed as club captain.

If Mooy is allowed plenty of time and space on the ball, City’s attackers Bruno Fornaroli and Wade Dekker will be looking to build on their impressive preseason form and terrorise the opposition defence.

If Valeri can eliminate Mooy’s influence on the match and in turn get the ball to Bozanic and Finkler, it will be only a matter of time before one of the most potent attacks in the league breaches the City defence.

Team news

Victory will welcome back captain Carl Valeri after he sat out of the first round clash against Adelaide United due to a knock picked up at training. He is one of five inclusions with a quartet of Olyroos – Jason Geria, Connor Pain, Giancarlo Gallifuoco and Scott Galloway – also making an extended squad for the match. The champions lose Leigh Broxham after his red card last round earned him an automatic one match suspension.

Melbourne Victory Expected XI (4-3-3): Vukovic (GK); Georgievski, Delpierre, Deng, Murnane; Bozanic, Valeri, Finkler; Barbarouses, Berisha, Khalfallah

Aaron Mooy will likely return to the starting lineup after sitting on the bench for City’s opening round clash with Sydney FC following the Socceroos match in Jordan which he was a part of. City’s injury list is still extensive with Aaron Hughes, Ivan Franjic and Harry Novillo just some of the names unavailable for the club.

Melbourne City Expected XI (4-3-3): Sorenson (GK); Retre, Kisnorbo, Clisby, Chapman; Paartalu, Mooy, Koren; Dekker, Fornaroli, Espindola

Head-to-head

These teams have met 16 times, with Victory winning on seven occasions to City’s five. There have been four draws. Victory have beaten City 3-0 in their past two meetings.

Previous meeting

These teams last met in May of this year when they played off for a spot in the grand final. Victory were dominant, putting three past their local rivals. Besart Berisha’s header and Kosta Barbarouses’ spectacular volley in the first half set up the win, with an Archie Thompson tap-in in the 87th minute sealing progression through to the grand final.

Prediction

This time last season Victory went on a scoring rampage against City, winning their first encounter of season 2014-15 five goals to two. A similar scoreline seems unlikely with the two Melbourne clubs appearing to be evenly matched, setting up a tight contest.

Goals will be on the agenda for both teams with Berisha scoring five goals in the two derby fixtures at Etihad Stadium last season and Fornaroli looking to add to his two FFA Cup goals for his new club.

Both coming off round one draws, the teams will be looking to secure three points – as well as bragging rights – before they continue their respective FFA Cup campaigns with midweek clashes in the next two weeks.

Melbourne Victory 2 Melbourne City 1

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