Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat has declared history will be “irrelevant” when his side face Brisbane Roar in their Hyundai A-League elimination final on Friday night, adding he won’t hold back with his team selections.
Victory held Brisbane to a scoreless draw in Melbourne last week to deny Roar the Premiers Plate, while the last time Muscat’s men played in Queensland they were crushed 5-0.
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History is in Victory’s favour, with the reigning Hyundai A-League champions having won four of the past six competitive meetings with Roar, while last Saturday’s draw has seemingly given the Big V some vital momentum.
Not that Muscat cares.
“It’s all selective because if you look back one game, we’ll say we’re ultra-confident. If they look back to their last home game [against us], they’re ultra-confident,” he said on Thursday.
“If we look back to the last three games we’ve been in Brisbane, we’d be ultra-confident. It’s all irrelevant. Everything’s irrelevant.
“Everyone makes a case to suit them. The reality is it’s [about] who can handle the big stage and the cut-throat end to the season under immense pressure the best.”
Muscat added: “We’ve got players that have delivered on the big stage [in the past] and regularly.”
With marquee striker Besart Berisha available after his suspension was reduced on Tuesday and Muscat having rested a number of key players last week, Victory have almost a full squad to choose from against Brisbane.
Only defensive midfielder Rashid Mahazi (ankle) is likely to be ruled out due to a fitness concern.
Muscat indicated both captain Carl Valeri and defender Nick Ansell, who are working their way back to full fitness, are in contention to start versus Roar.
“There’s no room for error tomorrow night, so I certainly won’t be holding back, saving someone for something that might not be there,” the 42-year-old coach said.
“It’s a game that both teams must win and I’ll be making decisions accordingly.”
Berisha, Kosta Barbarouses, Matthieu Delpierre and Leigh Broxham are all expected to return to Victory’s starting XI in Brisbane.
