The Melbourne Derby headlines this weekend’s action across the Isuzu UTE A-League. KEEPUP previews the fixtures ahead of Round 8, thanks to Neds.
Melbourne City v Melbourne Victory.
Saturday night, under the AAMI Park lights, bragging rights will be on the line. Who will come out on top?
City are the reigning Isuzu UTE A-League premiers and league leaders, coming off a 2-1 loss to Sydney FC to begin the post-Patrick Kisnorbo era. Fifth-placed Victory, meanwhile, registered just their third win of the season courtesy of a hard-fought 1-0 win at Macarthur FC last week.
This is the second instalment of the Melbourne Derby this season – City saw off 10-man Victory 2-0 in Round 3 in October and are unbeaten in seven of their past eight A-League Men games (W4, D3, L1) against their rivals.
And all eyes will be on reigning Golden Boot winner and current leader Jamie Maclaren, who has nine goals to his name this term.
The Socceroos forward has scored a goal in each of his last seven ALM appearances. An eighth consecutive goalscoring game would equal the league record set by Andy Keogh in 2016.
First halves have been crucial for City in 2022-23. They have been level or led at half-time in their last seven A-League Men games, going on to lose once (W5 D1); in fact, when leading at the interval, City are unbeaten in their last 22 games (W18, D4).
For Victory, it has been a topsy-turvy campaign despite boasting the attacking talent of Nani, Nick D’Agostino, Bruno Fornaroli, Chris Ikonomidis and Ben Folami. Tony Popovic’s side have eight goals to their name despite a total of 11.4 Expected Goals – no team has underperformed against their xG more than Victory this term (-3.4).
Opta stat: Melbourne City have lost only one of their last 13 regular-season games played at AAMI Park (W8, D4) while Melbourne Victory have lost two of their last three games played at the venue (W1).
MATCH DETAILS
Melbourne City v Melbourne Victory
Saturday, December 17 2022
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 BOLD & Paramount+
Odds: City $2.10, Draw $3.35, Victory $3.20
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Saturday evening’s showdown in Gosford is tale of contrasting form.
Eighth-placed Central Coast Mariners have lost back-to-back games on home soil, while fourth-placed Sydney FC are coming off a huge 2-1 win over City following the FIFA Men’s World Cup-enforced break and a confidence-boosting victory against Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic during last month’s Sydney Super Cup.
And history is against the Mariners, who are able to call upon Socceroos trio Jason Cummings – who was on the scoresheet in Round 7, Garang Kuol and Danny Vukovic.
The Mariners have won just two of their past 12 A-League Men games (L7, D3) against Sydney and have lost their last two straight against the Sky Blues; the Mariners will be looking to avoid three straight losses to Sydney for the first time since January 2019.
Expect Sydney trio Adam Le Fondre, Luke Brattan and Joe Lolley to be key to their hopes of victory on the road.
Le Fondre, who scored the winner against City last week, has been directly involved in seven goals in his seven career games versus the Mariners in the ALM (six goals, one assist), including a hat-trick of goals and an assist in his last game against them (April 2022).
As for Brattan and Lolley – they have created 13 and 12 chances from open play this season; the most and second-most respectively of all players.
Opta stat: Central Coast Mariners have lost three of their last four A-League Men games at Industree Group Stadium (W1) including their last two in a row; the last time they lost more successive games at the venue was a six-game stretch from January to July in 2020.
MATCH DETAILS
Central Coast Mariners v Sydney FC
Saturday, December 17 2022
Industree Group Stadium
Kick-off: 5.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Mariners $2.45, Draw $3.40, Sydney $2.55
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Friday night in the Hunter region represents a farewell for Charlie Austin.
Brisbane Roar’s marquee and former Premier League striker is leaving Australia after just six months Down Under – the club agreeing to grant the Englishman an early release.
Austin, who previously played for Queens Park Rangers, West Brom, Southampton and Burnley, has scored two goals in six ALM appearances as he prepares to say goodbye to the Roar and the league.
Last week, Jay O’Shea converted a 94th-minute penalty to salvage a last-gasp 1-1 draw for 10th-placed Brisbane at home to 10-man Adelaide United, while Newcastle Jets – occupying the sixth and remaining finals spot – claimed F3 Derby honours 2-1 against the Mariners.
The Roar have scored 60% of their five goals from set-pieces this A-League Men season, the highest rate of any team, while no team has scored a lower proportion of their goals from set-pieces than the Jets (12% of eight goals).
Newcastle, though, stand on the cusp of a landmark victory.
A win at home to Brisbane would be Newcastle’s 150th in the ALM (including shoot-outs) – they would become the seventh team to reach the milestone and the last of the remaining foundation clubs to log 150.
Opta stat: Brisbane Roar have had seven drives into the box for the 2022-23 A-League Men season, the joint-second most of all sides whilst the Jets remain the only side yet to register a single drive into the box.
MATCH DETAILS
Newcastle Jets v Brisbane Roar
Friday, December 16 2022
McDonald Jones Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Jets $2.40, Draw $3.30, Roar $2.70
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Adelaide United will put their unbeaten streak on the line against Wellington Phoenix on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds were held by Roar in Round 7, but they have gone five straight games without a defeat to sit third in the standings, four points behind City. Adelaide have lost only one of their last 12 regular-season games in the ALM (W8, D3) with that 2-0 loss to Macarthur FC the only game in that span in which they failed to score a goal.
Behind their run? Star captain Craig Goodwin, who has created an ALM-high 21 chances this season. It’s 13 more than closest ‘Nix player (Clayton Lewis and Bozhidar Kraev – eight).
Adelaide are also buoyed by their form against Wellington. They’re undefeated in their last four A-League Men games (W1, D3), keeping the Phoenix to one goal or less in each of those four; each of their last two meetings have ended in a 1-1 draw.
Wellington’s form is far different. The Phoenix – who drew 1-1 with Western Sydney Wanderers last time out – have won just one of their past nine regular-season matches (D4, L4), they have not kept a single clean sheet in that span despite keeping their opponents goalless in the first half on the day on five occasions.
The ‘Nix will need Bulgarian star Kraev at his best in Wellington. Kraev has scored a goal in each of his last three appearances in the A-League Men; only five Phoenix players have scored in four or more games in the history of the competition (five – Tomer Hemed, four – Roy Krishna x2, Jeremy Brockie x2, Ulises Davila, Ben Waine).
Opta stat: Wellington Phoenix have scored 13 goals this A-League Men season, 4.3 more than their Expected Goals total of 8.7; no team has outperformed their xG by more than the Phoenix this season.
MATCH DETAILS
Wellington Phoenix v Adelaide United
Saturday, December 17 2022
Sky Stadium
Kick-off: 1.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Phoenix $2.40, Draw $3.40, Adelaide $2.60
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It’s a battle between the Western clubs in Melbourne on Sunday afternoon.
Defending champions Western United v high-flying Western Sydney Wanderers.
Western are bottom of the standings following a 2-1 loss away to Perth Glory as their title defence continues to stutter, while the Wanderers are unbeaten in seven of their past eight ALM fixtures (W4, D3, L1) – they have not conceded a first-half goal in that period.
Key to Western Sydney’s success under Marko Rudan has been their intensity and physicality.
The Wanderers have made 164 tackles this season; the most of any side and 72 more than Western (92) – in fact, only Perth Glory (88) have won fewer tackles than United.
John Aloisi’s Western, though, have forced 75 high turnovers in 2022-23 – the second-most of any team and 12 more than the Wanderers.
For Western to stand any chance of celebrating just their second win of the campaign, they’ll need Aleksandar Prijovic at his best.
Prijovic has been directly involved in four goals across his two appearances against the Wanderers in the A-League Men (two goals, two assists) and has scored four goals and made one assist in his last four games in the competition overall.
Opta stat: Western Sydney Wanderers have made 164 tackles in the 2022-23 A-League Men season; the most of any side and 72 more than Western United (92) – in fact, only Perth Glory (88) have won fewer tackles than United.
MATCH DETAILS
Western United v Western Sydney Wanderers
Sunday, December 18 2022
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 3.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 BOLD & Paramount+
Odds: Western $2.60, Draw $3.30, Wanderers $2.45
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They are the Australia Cup champions and made a strong start to life under Dwight Yorke, but Macarthur FC are struggling for form as Perth Glory roll into town on Sunday evening.
The Bulls only have one win in five games, while they have three defeats in four matches to sit seventh in the standings. They have also lost back-to-back home matches – Macarthur have never lost more than two straight games at Campbelltown Stadium.
Macarthur, however, remain undefeated against Perth in their five A-League Men games (W3,
D2) to date, including wins in their last two outings against them.
Perth’s form does not make for pretty reading but the Glory are coming off a 2-1 success against Western.
The Glory have won just three of their past 23 ALM contests (L16, D4). They will be seeking consecutive victories in the competition for the first time since May 2021.
Opta stat: Perth Glory have scored 33% of their six goals this A-League Men season from outside the box, the highest rate of any team in the competition; however, Macarthur FC have conceded just one goal from outside the box this campaign.
MATCH DETAILS
Macarthur FC v Perth Glory
Sunday, December 18 2022
Campbelltown Stadium
Kick-off: 5.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
Odds: Macarthur $2.10, Draw $3.40, Glory $3.20
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