Melbourne Victory head across the Tasman needing to topple one of the Hyundai A-League’s most in-form sides or see their finals hopes all but evaporate.
Carlos Salvachua’s Victory have won just one of their last eight league games and are coming off a sobering 4-1 loss to Big Blue rivals Sydney FC last Saturday.
It’s a horror run that has left the perennial finalists seven points adrift of the top six with six games left to play and with a mountain of work to do to make the Finals Series.
They can take some solace from the fact they haven’t lost to Ufuk Talay’s side in two previous meetings, both games ending in draws at AAMI Park.
But the Phoenix are a different proposition right now and have their sights on a top-two berth following their 3-1 win over Central Mariners last weekend.
Third-place Wellington are just three points behind Melbourne City and depending on how Erick Mombaerts men go on Saturday night, they could leapfrog them on the ladder with a win in this one.
BEST XI: Hyundai A-League Team of the Week – Round 22
HOW TO WATCH: Every Hyundai A-League match in Round 23
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Sunday, 15 March 2020
Kick off: 6.20pm local, 4.20pm AEDT
Venue: Sky Stadium
Broadcast: FOX Sports 505
Stream: MyFootball Live App, Kayo Sports
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Team news
To be confirmed on Thursday.
Did you know?
- Five of the last six Hyundai A-League matches between Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory have ended in a draw, a 3-1 win to Victory the only different result in that span in last season’s Finals Series.
- Phoenix have won their last three Hyundai A-League games on the bounce – the 3rd time they’ve done so this season. The last time they won more in succession in the league was a four-game stretch in March 2015.
- Victory are winless in their last six Hyundai A-League games outside Victoria (D2, L4). The last time they went longer without a win outside their home state was an 11-game stretch from November 2011 to October 2012 (D2, L9).
- Phoenix playmaker Ulises Dávila has created 13 scoring chances for David Ball this Hyundai A-League campaign, the second-most of any player combination in the competition.
Tipping
