Life gets no easier for the struggling Brisbane Roar when high-flying Melbourne Victory come to town on Tuesday evening.
The Suncorp Stadium clash pits two sides at opposing ends of the Hyundai A-League table against each other with the ninth-placed Roar having won just one match this season.
Victory, on the other hand, have won eight and bounced back from a rare defeat with a 2-1 success against the Newcastle Jets on Saturday evening.
REPORT: Troisi’s late winner sinks the Jets
WATCH FOR FREE: How to watch the Hyundai A-League LIVE and FREE
The performance was far from convincing but the Keisuke Honda-less Victory snared all three points thanks to a terrific late finish from James Troisi.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5988718807001
What the Roar would give for three points of their own, the club’s only victory of the campaign coming on November 24.
Adam Taggart scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Melbourne City on that occasion and the striker has scored nine of the club’s 15 goals in the 2018/19 season.
Interim Roar coach Darren Davies – formerly a Victory assistant – has one draw and three defeats from his four games in charge.
Roar and Victory met in December, also in Brisbane, when John Aloisi was steering the ship.
And the match was memorable for six first-half goals and a red card as Victory won 4-2.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5979517715001
The win was the club’s second in a row in Brisbane but they had not triumphed in their previous four attempts in the city.
Key Opta Stats
- Brisbane Roar are now winless in their last eight games heading into this fixture (D1, L7) – their longest stretch without tasting victory in the Hyundai A-League.
- Melbourne Victory have won their last two games against Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium and will be looking to make it three wins on the trot here for the first time since November 2009.
- No team has conceded more goals in the opening fifteen minutes this Hyundai A-League season than Roar (5), while they are the only team yet to score in this period.
Ins and outs
Brisbane Roar FC squad: 1.Brendan WHITE (gk), 2.Dane INGHAM, 3.Luke DEVERE, 4.Daniel BOWLES, 7.Thomas KRISTENSEN, 8.Jacob PEPPER, 9.Adam TAGGART, 11.Eric BAUTHEAC, 14.Alex LOPEZ, 15.Stefan NIGRO, 17.Matt MCKAY (c), 18.Joe CALETTI, 21.Jamie YOUNG (gk), 23.Dylan WENZEL-HALLS, 24.Connor O’TOOLE, 26.Nick D’AGOSTINO, 33.HENRIQUE, 34.Aaron REARDON **two to be omitted**
Ins: 4.Daniel BOWLES (returns from suspension), 18.Joe CALETTI (promoted), 34.Aaron REARDON (promoted)
Outs: 19.Jack HINGERT (ankle)
Unavailable: 6.Avram PAPADOPOULOS (glute),10.Brett HOLMAN (knee), 13.Stefan MAUK (groin)
Melbourne Victory squad: 1.Matt ACTON (GK), 2.Storm ROUX, 3.Corey BROWN, 6.Leigh BROXHAM, 7.Kenny ATHIU, 8.Terry ANTONIS, 9.Kosta BARBAROUSES, 10.James TROISI, 11.Ola TOIVONEN, 13.Birkan KIRDAR, 14.Tommy DENG, 15.Raul BAENA, 16.Josh HOPE, 19.Rahmat AKBARI, 20.Lawrence THOMAS (GK), 21.Carl VALERI (c), 24.Elvis KAMSOBA, 25.Anthony LESIOTIS **two to be omitted**
Ins: 13.Birkan KIRDAR (promoted), 19. Rahmat AKBARI (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: Jai INGHAM (quad – TBC), Keisuke HONDA (Hamstring – 4 weeks), Nick ANSELL (Hamstring – TBC), Georg NIEDERMEIER (Calf – TBC)
How to watch
Tune in on FOX SPORTS 505 from 7:50pm AEDT or you can or stream the match on the MyFootball Live App, which is live, fast and data-free for Telstra mobile customers.
Tickets
Be there as the Roar face the Victory. Get your ticket here.
