Melbourne Victory (home)
- As of gameweek nine, Melbourne Victory sit 10th with 11 points from 9 games and Perth Glory sit 6th with 13 from 10 games.
- Melbourne Victory are unbeaten in their last two home A-League matches, where they have conceded just three goals.
- Victory boss Arthur Diles has made a fine start to his managerial career in Australia, quickly installing his preferred style of play and making Melbourne Victory a difficult opponent in the A-League.
- They play an aggressive transition game that can adapt between a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 depending on the opposition, overloading wide areas to create chances and pressing opponents into vertical turnovers when out of possession.
Perth Glory (away)
- Perth Glory have won three of their last four away A-League games, conceding six goals.
- Adam Griffiths has made a similarly bright start since taking over at Glory, but his style is a different animal to Victory’s.
- Glory play a more possession-based style, their wingbacks are integral to their attacking structure and they’re much more of a team that relies on maintaining a strong shape in the first phase of pressing, then counter-pressing to maintain possession.
- Perth Glory have won three and lost two of their last five A-League fixtures, including a 3-1 victory away to Melbourne City FC, but they’ve failed to win in their last two away trips to Melbourne in the A-League.
Key Players
- Tom Lawrence has four goals in seven A-League appearances and is one of the league’s leading threats.
- Nikolaos Vergos has scored five of Melbourne Victory’s last seven goals and should be the main man to watch on Friday.
Betting Insights
- Despite sitting 10th with 11 points, Victory are the clear favorites for this clash at 1.75, with Glory set at 4.2.
- Perth Glory have a quality record away from home this term (W3, D0, L1) and Victory have a home record this season (W1, D1, L1).
Prediction
These are two of the most positive teams in the A-League, with Vergos and Lawrence both in hot form, so we’re going for over 2.5 goals at 1.65 in this clash of two attacking styles that could lead to an exciting game.
