The task for Melbourne Victory is to hold on to their playoff spot as they host Western Sydney Wanderers in an A-League fixture on Sunday. Neither side has been particularly convincing lately but Melbourne will be banking on home advantage to give them the edge here.
Melbourne Victory currently occupy the final playoff spot but face pressure from Wellington Phoenix, who are just three points off the top six. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Western United in their previous A-League fixture with Brendan Hamill striking a late equaliser.
Despite being on a five-match unbeaten run in the A-League, Melbourne City have been far from their best in recent weeks. The draw with Wellington Phoenix was their third straight stalemate, although they will take some confidence from a 1-1 scoreline at champions Melbourne City.
Another reason for confidence will be Melbourne Victory’s recent home record which has seen them suffer just one defeat from their last seven A-League matches at AAMI Park. Tony Popovic’s men have also won two of their last three matches in front of their fans.
Western Sydney Wanderers have a different battle on their hands as recent results have seen them slip closer to the bottom of the table. They are five points off the top six and still have slim hopes of securing a playoff spot.
The problem for Western Sydney Wanderers is a lack of consistency as they have claimed just three wins from their last nine A-League matches. Marko Rudan’s men were held to a 0-0 draw by Adelaide United in their previous A-League fixture.
How the bookies view it
The bookies have Melbourne Victory as overwhelming favourites at 4/5 with BetVictor while a victory for Western Sydney Wanderers is valued at 17/5 by SBK. A draw is set at odds of 29/10 by Unibet.
Head to head
Melbourne Victory have a 14-8 advantage with four draws from 26 previous matches with Western Sydney Wanderers. Although Western Sydney claimed a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture, Melbourne won 5-4 in the last meeting at AAMI Park.
Players to watch
Top scorer Nicolas D’Agostino is away on international duty so Marco Rojas is likely to carry the attacking threat for Melbourne Victory. The attacker was on target in the draw with Melbourne City and is priced at 15/8 by bet365 to find the net on Sunday.
Tomer Hemed often leads the line for Western Sydney Wanderers and will be the man tasked with providing the spark in attack. The forward has four goals this season and is priced at 5/2 by bet365 to get on the score sheet.
Anything else catch the eye?
Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers have not been convincing lately, particularly at the back and both teams could be backed to score at 3/4 with bet365. The last meeting at AAMI Park produced over 3.5 goals and a similar outcome is priced at 2/1 with bet365.
Both teams have produced late goals in their recent fixtures and could be backed to score in the second half at 21/10 with SBK.
This A League match between Melbourne Victory and Western City Wanderers will be played on Mar 27, 2022 and kick off at 08:05. Check below for our tipsters best Melbourne Victory vs Western City Wanderers prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
