Carl Valeri says Melbourne Victory is relishing its return to Etihad Stadium ahead of Friday’s highly-anticipated Melbourne Derby Semi Final.
VIDEO: Valeri not fazed by venue
Melbourne Victory is unbeaten this season at Etihad Stadium, which serves as the club’s second home away from AAMI Park.
The winner of the Melbourne Derby will advance the Hyundai A-League 2015 Grand Final, with over 44,000 tickets already sold for Friday’s clash.
“Etihad is just as much our home ground as AAMI Park,” Valeri said on Wednesday.
“We love Etihad and it’s great because more fans get to come watch the game.”
Valeri, who joined Melbourne Victory after a decade in Italy, says his decision to return to Australia has already been vindicated.
“This is why I came back, why I came back to Melbourne Victory,” he said.
“I want to be successful and I want to win, it’s the same mentality the club has.
“We’re very confident after a big season but Semi Finals are different – Semi Finals are very special.
“I think we have an experienced team who’s been in many battles and we’ve just got to go out there and do the business.
“You can talk all you want but we’ve got to go out there and work as hard as we have worked.”
Tickets for the Melbourne Derby Semi Final are available by clicking here.
