Two of the form teams in the A-League square off as Melbourne City host Western Sydney Wanderers at AAMI Park. The visitors are a dangerous side but Melbourne have impressed at home lately and should have the edge in this one.
Melbourne City showed their quality last time out as they claimed a 2-0 victory over league leaders Central Coast Mariners. Goals in each half from James McLaren and Nathaniel Atkinson were enough to earn them a comfortable win.
It is the fifth straight win for Patrick Kisnorbo's men who are returning to their best after a slow start to the season. They are also back in the title race and sit fourth on the table, four points off the leaders with two games in hand.
Melbourne City often do their best work at home and have won four of their last five matches at AAMI Park. They earned a 3-0 victory against fellow title chasers Macarthur in their last home fixture.
Western Sydney Wanderers are also coming off a victory as they triumphed 3-0 over Perth Glory in their last A-League outing. A brace either side of the break from Mitchell Duke set them on their way before James Troisi added a third in the second half.
Carl Robinson’s men are also attempting a resurgence after stumbling in recent weeks. They have won their last three matches and are now up to second on the table, three points off the pace.
The one blemish for Wanderers is a poor away form that has seen them claim just two wins in their last 10 matches on the road.
How the bookies view it
Melbourne City have been installed as favourites by the bookies and are backed at 7/10 by Unibet to secure the win. A win for Western Sydney Wanderers is valued at 5/1 by bet365 while a draw is set at odds of 3/1 by BetVictor.
Head to head
Western Sydney Wanderers have a slight edge in this fixture with 12 wins from 27 previous matches. Melbourne City have claimed 10 wins while there have been five draws between both teams.
Melbourne City have the upper hand in recent meetings with three wins and a draw from the last four matches, including a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture.
Players to watch
Jamie McLaren has been the standout player for Melbourne City this season with 11 goals in as many matches. Unibet has the striker at odds of 4/6 to score anytime while the first goal is valued at 11/4 by Betfred.
Western Sydney Wanderers boast multiple attacking threats and often spread their goals across the team. Unibet is offering 37/20 on striker Mitchell Duke to score anytime while also backing Kwame Yeboah at 23/10 in the same market.
Anything else catch the eye?
There is expected to be plenty of attacking quality on display on Friday, so the goals market should be considered. Over 2.5 goals is valued at 31/50 by novibet, over 3.5 goals is set at odds of 7/5 by betway while BetVictor is offering 18/5 for over 4.5 goals.
A win/goals combination could also provide some value with a Melbourne City win and over 2.5 goals priced at 6/5 by BoyleSport.
This A League match between Melbourne City and Western Sydney Wanderers will be played on Mar 26, 2021 and kick off at 08:05. Check below for our tipsters best Melbourne City vs Western Sydney Wanderers prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
