Melbourne City coach John van’t Schip is confident his side can overcome Adelaide in tonight’s Semi Final having already won at Coopers Stadium twice this season.
The Dutchman felt City will have it all to do after a short turnaround from Sunday’s Elimination Final but admits a clean bill of health and confidence will go a long way to qualifying for the Grand Final.
“We’ve had a good week. It’s a short turnaround but the boys pulled up well after the game so that was a good sign,” van’t Schip said.
“(Winning twice in Adelaide) is something that you take with you and it plays in the mind always, but it’s another game. It’s going to be a hard game.
“We’ve been there and we’ve had two good results and on the other hand, they came here and they got a good result so I think we’re even.
“They won the Premiers Plate, they’ve had a week’s longer rest and a home game so there may be a few things in their advantage but it doesn’t really concern us.
“We have to be concerned with being prepared and making sure we are there at kick-off.”
City put Perth to the sword last week after a Bruno Fornaroli brace sent the in-form side of the competition packing but van’t Schip believes it was the hard work the team put in during the week that got them over the line last week and will go a long way to winning this week.
“You always have to prepare against an opponent that wants to make it very difficult,” he said.
“It’s not as simple as clicking your fingers and Bruno is going to steal the show, it’s hard work, it’s preparing.
“Your opponent may be having a good day or a moment where there is a good ball that is a different play from the week before that could be a goal or not a goal and that could be the margin.
“The boys are up to it and will be looking to do it differently from the last game (against Adelaide) because that wasn’t the way we wanted to play and we will for sure want to do that differently on Friday.”
Asked whether this season was more successful than the last, van’t Schip admitted that indeed the 2015/16 campaign in a football sense has been more successful but will be even better if his side can qualify for its first Grand Final.
“We have a plan in the Club where we want to win and want to win silverware and this is a big opportunity,” he said.
“We’re ready for it, we’ll go for it and I think we’re in a good place. The boys are looking sharp. We showed this year that we can win against every opponent so we just have to have the confidence in ourselves and go out there and try to play our game knowing the opponent that we have to adapt and do the things right to make it difficult for them.”
City take on Adelaide on Friday night at Coopers Stadium, kick-off 7.45pm (AEST). See the match on Fox Sports 505 and delayed on SBS.
