Melbourne City will be looking to close the gap on second-placed Newcastle Jets when they play host to Adelaide United on Sunday night at AAMI Park.
Both sides come into this contest on the back of three games undefeated, with Adelaide pushing league-leaders Sydney FC all the way in a 0-0 draw last weekend.
City have won the last two clashes between the two sides including a 2-0 win against the Reds at Coopers Stadium when they last met in Round 4.
Ross McCormack scored both of City’s goals in that fixture and the Scotsman will be confident of adding to his 13 goals for the campaign on Sunday night.
But with Adelaide welcoming back a host of players from injury and international duty, the Reds will fancy their chances of springing an upset.
Check out some of the key stats and facts ahead of the clash at AAMI Park.
- Melbourne City have won their last two games against Adelaide, keeping a clean sheet on each occasion; neither side has won more than two in a row previously in the history of this fixture.
- City have won three of their last four games against the Reds at AAMI Park (L1); though, they had won just one of six such games prior (D1, L4).
- Melbourne City have lost only one of their last 13 games at AAMI Park on a Sunday (W7, D5).
- Adelaide have kept a first-half clean sheet in each of their last four games away from home.
- Only one side (Sydney FC, 12) has conceded fewer goals this season than Adelaide United (17).
- Of the eight direct free kick goals scored so far this season, half have come via the boot of Ross McCormack; no other player has scored more than two.
- McCormack has scored six of Melbourne City’s last seven goals heading into this contest.
- Isaias (48) and Ben Garuccio (38) have made more interceptions than any other players so far this campaign.
