Melbourne City FC take on A-League strugglers Wellington Phoenix this weekend, with both sides having ended 2017 in a poor run of form. Manager Warren Joyce has seen his side slip down the table over recent weeks, however the hosts are still the firm favourites to claim all three points at the Rectangular Stadium on Saturday morning.
Australian A-League – Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne – Saturday 6th January – 09:50 UK Time
|
Draw Best Odd of: 14/5 at Coral |
|
Melbourne City
WellingtonMatch Preview
Having seen rivals Melbourne Victory leapfrog them in the A-League standings, Melbourne City FC will be looking to return to winning ways when they take on the Wellington Phoenix this weekend. The visitors remain rock-bottom of the standings having won just once all season, with the pressure mounting on head coach Darije Kalezić as a result. Despite the home side being the favourites for victory, for those who are still unsure of who to back, let’s take a closer look at the two teams, starting with Melbourne City FC. Also be sure to check out our top betting tip below, perfect for those looking to place a wager on this match from the Australian top-flight.
Melbourne City Team News & Form
Melbourne City’s 2-1 away defeat at the Western Sydney Wanderers was their third successive A-League defeat, a result which left them in fourth position in the standings. The hosts have the worst goalscoring record in the top-half of the table, with manager Joyce undoubtedly now looking to Bruno Fornaroli to fire his team to victory, while on-loan Ross McCormack is fit again after injury. The on-loan Aston Villa man has eight A-League goals already this season. Elsewhere, Manchester City’s on-loan midfielder Luke Brattan has been one of the few shining lights over recent months for the home side.
Wellington Phoenix Team News & Form
Despite earning a hard fought goalless draw against the Central Coast Mariners last time around, Wellington Phoenix remain six points adrift at the bottom of the table, with their only victory of the season having come against Perth Glory back in November. Despite striker Andrija Kaluđerović sitting second in the top scorer charts thanks to eight goals so far this season, the hosts have scored just 15 goals in total, as well as having the worst defensive record in the division.
Head to Head
The two teams have 23 times in the past, with Melbourne City FC having won 10 of such meetings, as well as registering six draws. As well as this, this weekend’s home side came away with six points from last seasons two meetings, including a 5-1 success away from home and a narrow 1-0 victory in front of their home fans.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite their recent form, given their position in the table and status as the home team, it comes as little surprise that it is Melbourne City FC who are the slight favourites with the majority of bookmakers. Those looking to back the home side can get best odds of 4/7 at Paddy Power, while the away side are slightly longer at 5/1 with the same bookmaker.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on there being over 2.5 goals during the 90 minutes in Melbourne, which can be found at odds of 3/5 at William Hill.