Newcastle Jets will be hoping that their superb home record against Melbourne Victory can continue in Saturday night’s blockbuster Hyundai A-League Grand Final.
Victory had endured a horror time at McDonald Jones Stadium over the last few seasons.
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In fact, Kevin Muscat’s men have taken all three points home with them just once in their last 12 trips up the M1, which came back in January of 2016.
Five of those 12 matches have ended all square, with Victory losing the other six.
The two meetings at McDonald Jones Stadium this season have seen the Jets come out on top.
The first of those was a 4-1 drubbing in round 8, followed by a 2-0 triumph in round 19.
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Victory’s record in Newcastle isn’t the only thing that will be filling Jets fans with plenty of hope ahead of Saturday night.
That’s because only once in 12 previous Grand Final’s has a team playing outside their home state managed to come away with a win.
Victory was on the wrong end of the score again on that occasion, losing to Sydney FC in a penalty shootout at Etihad Stadium.
So will any of that have a bearing on who will be holding the Hyundai A-League trophy aloft on Saturday night. Get ready because this will be a ripper!
OTHER MATCH FACTS
- Newcastle Jets have won two of their last three Hyundai A-League games against Melbourne Victory, this after having gone without a win in their previous five games against them.
- This will be the first time these teams have ever faced off in a post-season clash.
- The Jets won their only previous Hyundai A-League Grand Final appearance (2007/08), while Victory have won three of their previous five with both losses in that time coming via penalties.
- Success in this game will mean that Melbourne Victory will have been Hyundai A-League Champions on more occasions than any other side, they have currently done it three times alongside Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar.
- Victory have failed to score in three of their last five outings on the road and didn’t manage to record a clean sheet in any of those Hyundai A-League fixtures. The Jets have scored 10 times across their last two fixtures.
- This game will see the Hyundai A-League’s two most prolific creators go head-to-head; Leroy George (75) and Dimitri Petratos (74) have created more scoring chances than any other player in the competition (next best, 55 – Andrew Hoole).
- Victory winger Kosta Barbarouses has scored in two of his three appearances versus Newcastle Jets this Hyundai A-League season; he comes into this game having scored in the semi-final against Sydney.
- Victory striker Besart Berisha has scored five goals in Hyundai A-League Grand Finals, the joint-most of any player in competition history alongside Archie Thompson.
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