Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City: Can Melbourne City Extend Their Unbeaten Run?
Brisbane Roar FC
In the third round of the Australian A-League, Brisbane Roar will host Melbourne City. The match will take place on Friday, October 31, kicking off at 9:35 CET. Here’s my take on this clash.
Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City: Match Preview
Last season, Brisbane Roar failed to reach the playoffs, collecting just 21 points from 26 matches. The team fell 17 points short of sixth place and finished 12th in the A-League table. In the new season, Brisbane Roar played one match in the preliminary round of the Australia Cup, where they lost 0–1 to Wellington Phoenix and exited the competition.
In the A-League, Brisbane started with a narrow 1–0 win over Macarthur in the opening round. In the second round, they travelled to face Wellington Phoenix again, took an early lead, but eventually fell 1–2. Three points from two rounds place them mid-table in the early standings.
Melbourne City, meanwhile, have had a much busier start to their campaign. The team suffered a 0–2 defeat in the opening round of the Australia Cup, but soon began their AFC Champions League journey. After three group-stage matches, City have a 0–2 loss to Hiroshima, a 0–1 defeat to Kobe, and a 2–1 victory over Buriram United, leaving them with three points and still fighting for a playoff spot.
In the A-League, Melbourne City have yet to lose. They opened with a 1–1 draw against Sydney Wanderers before thrashing Perth Glory 4–0 in their most recent fixture. Notably, Melbourne City are the reigning A-League champions, having beaten Melbourne Victory 1–0 in last season’s Grand Final — their second league title in club history.
Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- Melbourne City are unbeaten in their last three matches: two wins and a draw.
- Brisbane Roar have lost only one of their previous ten fixtures.
- Melbourne City have failed to win any of their last three away games: two defeats and a draw.
- In their most recent head-to-head meeting, Melbourne City defeated Brisbane Roar 3–2.
Probable Lineups
- Brisbane Roar: Acton, Herrington, Hingert, Burke-Gilroy, Bility, Klein, Jelacic, Bérenguer, O'Shea, Hore, Abubakar
- Melbourne City: Beach, Behich, Ferreyra, Atkinson, Trewin, Kuen, Ugarković, Caputo, Tilio, Cohen, Leckie
Prediction
Melbourne City are in strong form and hold a solid record against Brisbane Roar. Playing away will make this a challenging encounter, but my prediction leans toward a Melbourne City victory.
