Preview: Melbourne City v Perth Glory

Head-to-head

The men from Western Australia have had the better of this fixture, winning seven of the 16 previous meetings between the two sides since Melbourne Heart’s introduction to the A-League in 2010. The most notable of these triumphs was the 3-0 romp in the elimination stage of the 2011-12 season.

City have only won this fixture a mere four times, with five draws rounding out this fixture’s history.

Previous meeting

Jamie Maclaren, now with Brisbane Roar, settled the last A-League meeting between the two sides with a hat-trick, condemning City to a 3-1 loss at NIB Stadium.

City defender Paolo Retre was remarkably sent off after amassing two yellow cards in as many minutes on the cusp of half time with Perth leading 1-0. Aaron Mooy equalised for the visitors seven minutes into the second-half with a sensational free-kick, but Maclaren added two in the final 25 minutes to earn maximum points for his team.



Prediction

Perth’s lack of firepower will only be resolved once key personnel return, or a move is made in the January transfer window. That being said, City, without the leadership of Kisnorbo or Hughes, are a vulnerable entity. The hosts will be expected to win this, and should have enough quality in the final third to keep Van’t Schip’s job security out of the spotlight.

Melbourne City 2 Perth Glory 1