Perth Glory will be aiming to finish their horror road trip on a high when they confront defending Isuzu UTE A-League champions Melbourne City at AAMI Park on Wednesday night.
Glory haven’t played at home since their season opener in November, but they will return to Perth on Thursday ahead of a run of three straight games at HBF Park.
The extended road trip hasn’t been kind to Glory, whose squad has been ravaged by COVID-19 amidst a run of poor results.
Glory currently sit 10th on the ladder with three wins, two draws, and six losses to show from their 11 games, while City are second and have the chance to leapfrog Western United atop the standings midweek.
Richard Garcia’s Glory have lost their past two games on the trot, and they will again be without star signing Daniel Sturridge.
The former Liverpool star is expected to be sidelined for at least several more weeks with a groin injury.
The timing of the setback is unfortunate for Glory given they will be hosting Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners and Brisbane Roar in March.
Although the capacity of HBF Park will be cut to 50 per cent while COVID-19 cases rise dramatically in WA, the presence of Sturridge would have ensured a sellout of the available tickets.
Glory desperately need to secure a win against City in order to stay within striking distance of the top six.
But it will be no easy feat against the defending champions, whose 2-1 victory over Sydney FC on Saturday marked their third straight win.
Second-placed City received another boost on Tuesday when Florin Berenguer re-signed for a further season.
Berenguer was a key cog in City’s Championship and Premiership- winning squads last season, and he has starred this campaign with three goals, three assists, and a string of man-of-the-match displays.
The 32-year-old has appeared in 84 games for City across all competitions, setting a new record for most games played by a foreign player at the club.
“It’s great to see him in career best form this season,” City’s director of football Michael Petrillo said.
“He is one of the most technically gifted players in the league and loves to play our style of football.”
Melbourne City v Perth Glory
Isuzu UTE A-League
Wednesday, March 2 2022
AAMI PARK
Kick-off: 7.05pm AEDT
MATCH CENTRE | HOW TO WATCH
