Let the rivalry recommence! Be part of a massive crowd under the roof at Etihad as this fierce local derby enters its second season. Do not miss it!
Melbourne Victory v Melbourne Heart
Saturday 22nd October, 7.45pm
Let the rivalry recommence! Be part of a massive crowd under the roof at Etihad as this fierce local derby enters its second season. Do not miss it!
It’s the big one! Saturday sees Melbourne’s fervent football followers converge on Etihad Stadium as the battle for local supremacy starts all over again. It looks set to be an absolutely huge turnout for this vital local derby!
On the opening weekend, Victory attracted over 40,000 fans to Harry Kewell’s Hyundai A-League debut and the atmosphere was incredible, so imagine what a cauldron of noise it will be under the closed roof with even more fans squeezed in!
It’s going to be amazing, so you would do well to secure your ticket right away. If you snooze, you lose. Simply, Etihad Stadium is the only place to be on Saturday evening!
Local bragging rights aside, Victory desperately need a win – and some goals – after they managed neither over the past two weeks. Having drawn with Sydney in Week 1, they were undone by Sergio Van Dijk’s strike in Adelaide last Friday.
But there is no need to press the panic button just yet. The performances have been good enough and even quite dominant – notably for long periods against The Reds last week – but there is simply a need to be more clinical in the final third.
For Heart, the local derby might just have come at the right time, as they need something to kick-start their season. After two disappointing results, what better occasion to try to get your first points on the board than against your closest rivals?
Following the thrilling, yet ultimately heart-breaking, five-goal bonanza against Newcastle, the Red and White also lost by the odd goal in their first home game of the campaign, against Perth Glory. Finishes either side of half-time from the deadly Shane Smeltz were the undoing of the home side, who only had David Williams’ converted penalty to celebrate.
Heart will be keeping their fingers crossed that skipper Fred will be available for the big clash after he was forced off in the 35th minute of the Perth defeat with a hamstring injury. Jason Hoffman should be available after missing last week’s loss due to illness.
Honours are even following a hat-trick of derby games in Heart’s inaugural season. A stunning 2-1 win for the newbies in the first ever Melbourne match-up was followed by a 3-1 win for Victory and then a cracking 2-2 draw. If those games are anything to go by, we’re in for a treat on Saturday.
It’s Victory against Heart. Navy against Red. One half of the city against the other. This is what football is about. The passion, the devotion, the sheer tension of a cross-city battle.
If you haven’t booked tickets for this epic event yet then get on it straight away. There is simply nothing like experiencing a derby such as this in person. It is going to be incredible. Heart fans, Victory fans, get ready to show the rest of Australia what an intense local derby looks like. All eyes are on you!
