Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
Macarthur FC
Melbourne Victory
In the 28th round of the A-League, Macarthur will host Melbourne Victory. The match is scheduled for Friday, April 25, at 11:35 Central European Time. Here is our preview for this encounter.
Macarthur vs Melbourne Victory: match facts and head-to-head
- Macarthur is unbeaten in five consecutive matches: two draws and two wins.
- Macarthur hasn't won at home in their last three matches: two draws and a loss.
- Macarthur has conceded at least one goal in nine consecutive matches, while Melbourne Victory has in four.
- Macarthur scores more than 1.5 goals in 88% of their matches, while Melbourne Victory does so in 83%.
- Melbourne has won 25% of their matches this season without conceding a goal, whereas Macarthur has only 8%.
- Macarthur has lost without scoring in only 13% of cases, while Victory in 17%.
- The previous encounter between these teams ended with a 2-1 victory for Victory. In the last five games between them, each team has two wins and one draw.
Macarthur vs Melbourne Victory: match preview
Macarthur continues their fight for a spot in the A-League playoffs, as does Melbourne Victory. However, the visitors are in a slightly more favorable position. Macarthur has 33 points and trails sixth-place Sydney by four points. With only two rounds left in the regular season, and their direct competitor also having two matches remaining, the team must give their all. Macarthur needs to win both matches and hope for a slip-up from Sydney.
Melbourne Victory isn't too far ahead of Macarthur. Currently, the team is in fifth place with 39 points — six more than their opponent. Their advantage over the closest pursuers is only two points, but unlike Adelaide, who sits in seventh place, Melbourne has two remaining matches, not one. A victory in this round would allow Victory to pull ahead by five points and secure a playoff spot. Therefore, neither side intends to concede here.
Probable line-ups
- Macarthur: Kurto, Adamson, Boli, Uskok, Scott, Vujica, Gallman, Deli, Brattan, Jakolis, Ikonomidis
- Melbourne Victory: Langerak, Roderick, Jackson, Rowles, Valadon, Machach, Arzani, Badolato, Velupillay, Vergos, Bos
Prediction
As mentioned above, neither side can afford to back down in this game — both need a victory. My bet is on a total match score of over three, as I believe both Macarthur and Melbourne will play attacking football. The odds for this outcome are 1.68.
