The entertaining Melbourne City and Perth Glory put their seasons on the line in week one of the Hyundai A-League Finals Series at AAMI Park tomorrow night (Sunday).
What are the key factors and stats that’ll help predict Sunday night’s outcome in this mouth-watering clash?
GOALS GUARANTEED
There have been 20 goals in the three meetings between these two this season.
Andy Keogh’s hat-trick gave Glory a 3-2 win at AAMI Park in round three.
At the same venue just after Christmas, a Diego Castro-inspired Perth came back three times from a goal down to draw 3-3.
And in last weekend’s crazy regular season finale, Glory emerged victorious in a nine-goal thriller.
Going back further, there have been 41 goals in the last eight clashes between these two and just once in that stretch have both sides not scored in a game.
CITY HAVE FORM IN FINALS WEEK ONE
This is the third successive season that City have played in week one of the Finals Series.
And they’ve won the previous two without conceding a goal.
A year ago, a Bruno Fornaroli brace gave them a 2-0 win over Glory at AAMI Park.
The previous season, City travelled to Wellington and beat Phoenix 2-0.
But on both occasions, they were beaten the following weekend.
KEOGH AND CASTRO LOVE CITY
Glory’s Irish striker Andy Keogh and Spanish maestro Diego Castro enjoy clashes with Melbourne City.
Both have scored five goals against them, with Keogh’s goals coming in nine previous meetings and Castro’s coming in just seven games.
There is no other team that either Keogh or Castro have scored more goals against.
Interestingly though, both have also scored five goals against City’s cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory.
CITY ARE THE PASS MASTERS
Melbourne City have made 12,220 passes this season.
Only Brisbane made more in the 2016/17 campaign.
But City’s accuracy leaves Roar – and all the others – in their wake.
They pass at 81.9% accuracy, with no other team managing 80%.
Melbourne City do it in good areas, too.
Luke Brattan (929) and Neil Kilkenny (875) are two of the Hyundai A-League’s top three passers in the opposition half.
Only Victory attacker James Troisi (976) has made more front-half passes than the City duo.
Meantime, Glory are the only team not to break past the 10 thousand mark, having made 9,660 passes this season.
