It’s a Saturday night shootout when Brisbane Roar in third host fifth-placed Melbourne Victory in a top six “six-pointer” at Suncorp.
Saturday, 12 March 2016
Brisbane Roar FC v Melbourne Victory
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-Off: 6:30 PM (Local) (7:30 PM (AEDT))
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Assistant Referee 1: Nathan MacDonald
Assistant Referee 2: David Walsh
Fourth Official: Peter Green
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on FOX SPORTS 505 from 7.15pm (AEDT) and Sky Sport 4 (New Zealand)
Radio Broadcast: 774 ABC Melbourne, ABC Local Radio Vic, Grandstand Digital, Online & via the ABC Radio Mobile App – A-league Live.
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash-tag #BRIvMVC
To purchase tickets visit www.aleague.com.au/tickets
Brisbane Roar FC squad: 1.Michael THEO, 3. Shane STEFANUTTO, 5.Corey BROWN, 7.CORONA, 8.Steven LUSTICA, 9.Jamie MACLAREN, 10.HENRIQUE, 13.Jade NORTH, 14.Daniel BOWLES, 16.Devante CLUT, 17.Matt McKAY (c), 18.Javier HERVAS, 19.Jack HINGERT, 20.Shannon BRADY, 21.Jamie YOUNG (gk), 22.Thomas BROICH, 23.Dimitri PETRATOS, 28.Brandon BORRELLO
**two to be omitted**
Ins: 16.Devante CLUT (promoted), 20.Shannon BRADY (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 6.Jerome POLENZ (quadriceps – 2 weeks), 11.Jean Carlos SOLORZANO (quadriceps – 1 week)
Melbourne Victory squad: 1.Danny VUKOVIC (gk), 2. Jason GERIA, 3.Scott GALLOWAY, 5.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI, 6.Leigh BROXHAM (c), 7.Gui FINKLER, 8.Besart BERISHA, 10.Archie THOMPSON, 11.Connor PAIN, 13.Oliver BOZANIC, 14.Fahid BEN KHALFALLAH, 15.Giancarlo GALLIFUOCO, 16.Rashid MAHAZI, 17.Matthieu DELPIERRE, 20.Lawrence THOMAS (gk), 22.Jesse MAKAROUNAS, 23.Jai INGHAM, 24.Thomas DENG
**two to be omitted**
Ins: 11.Connor PAIN (promoted), 13.Oliver BOZANIC (returns from injury)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 9.Kosta BARBAROUSES (suspended – 1 week), 21.Carl VALERI (ill – season)
BLUFFER’S GUIDE
Roar and Victory both arrested mini form slumps last weekend and will be looking to go back-to-back in a match that pits third against fifth.
Brisbane ended a three game win-less run with an impressive comeback against the Wanderers, while the Big V had not claimed three points since they beat the Sky Blues on Australia Day.
Victory recorded a resounding 4-0 result the last time these sides met in Round 15 at AAMI Park but Roar are a different proposition on their home patch.
Both sides have proven all season they’ve got goals in them – Berisha and Maclaren have 29 between them – but it’s in defence where this game will be won or lost.
John Aloisi had the luxury of naming a relatively unchanged squad, while Kevin Muscat has Oliver Bozanic back after he sat out last weekend with concussion.
OPTA DATA
- Melbourne Victory have won their last four league matches against Brisbane Roar, though Brisbane had won three straight prior to that including a 1-0 play-off victory in 2013/14.
- Six of the last seven league matches between these clubs have seen the winning team keep a clean sheet.
- Melbourne Victory ran out to their biggest ever win against the Roar in their previous encounter, 4-0 in Round 15 this season.
- Brisbane have won nine of their last 12 matches at home in the A-League and are undefeated in their last three (W2, D1).
ROUTE TO GOAL
Jamie Maclaren’s brace against the Wanderers took his season goal tally to 14 from just 18 matches.
What’s more, this week having seen Apostolos Giannou selected ahead of him in the Socceroos for later this month, the 22-year-old will be eager to further his case for national selection against the boss’s former club.
Dimi Petratos has proven to be a player that thrives on confidence so should be bristling at the chance to run at Victory’s backline after his late winner last weekend.
Not to be outdone former Roar hero Besart Berisha also got his name on the score sheet in Round 22 with a clinical finish to edge back ahead of Maclaren in the golden boot standings.
Former Hume City winger Jai Ingham grabbed his A-League opportunity with an eye-catching man of the match performance in Gosford.
With Kosta Barbarouses still out through suspension and the Kiwi international having signed for the Phoenix next season, 22-year-old Ingham will have another chance to secure a regular starting spot in Victory’s line-up.
WHO’S BEEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT THIS WEEK?
Kosta Barbarouses. The Kiwi international is heading home next season after signing a three-year deal with the Wellington Phoenix this week.
