Melbourne Victory
- Melbourne Victory are in fourth place in the A-League with 32 points from 21 games.
- The club’s consistency this season has been excellent while their form has been particularly strong of late.
- Arthur Diles’ side are now unbeaten in their last five A-League fixtures, a run that includes two wins and three draws.
- They boast a superb home record this term, winning five, drawing three and losing just two of their ten home matches.
- They have won one and drawn two of their most recent three games at AAMI Park.
Central Coast Mariners
- Central Coast Mariners sit in sixth spot in the table after taking 27 points from their 20 games.
- Warren Moon’s team have been particularly impressive in their recent A-League outings, going unbeaten in their last five, which includes three wins and two draws.
- Central Coast have won their last two away games.
- Moon’s system is pragmatic, his team likes to sit in a compact block and hit on the counterattack.
- They are very effective in transition, particularly from wide areas, with Sabit James Ngor the main catalyst in these situations.
- The Mariners have won four and lost four of their nine away A-League assignments this season.
Head-to-Head
- Central Coast have won three of the last five A-League head-to-heads with Melbourne Victory, while Melbourne Victory have won one and there has been one draw.
- Victory score an average of 1.5 goals at home in this fixture, conceding just 0.5 on average across the last five head-to-heads at AAMI Park.
Key Players
- Juan Mata acts as the creative engine for Melbourne Victory.
- Mata has 11 A-League assists in 21 appearances this campaign, including four in the last five.
- Charles Nduka has found the net three times in Victory’s last five.
- Sabit James Ngor is the Mariners’ top scorer with five goals in 20 A-League appearances.
Betting Insights
- Melbourne Victory are priced at 1.42 to win this match.
- Backing both teams to score at 1.67 is recommended.
- Central Coast have an excellent recent record against Diles’ side and have been strong on the road this season.
Prediction
- We fancy Victory to eventually snag the win.
- The game should be a tactical chess match between two different styles, with Central Coast aiming to exploit transitions.
- A 2-1 correct score in favor of Victory is our selection.
- Mata is a key player to watch and Nduka is a decent outside bet to score anytime.
