A-League leaders Melbourne City face rivals Sydney FC on Friday morning, with both teams coming into the clash unbeaten at the start of the new campaign. A close encounter is expected at the Rectangular Stadium, with three points being vital for both sides, even at this early stage of the season. Melbourne City put their 100% winning record in the A-League on the line when they take on Sydney FC on Friday, with Warren Joyce’s men hoping to get one over on their rivals.
Australian A-League – Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne – Friday 3rd November – 09:50 UK Time
Melbourne CityBest Odd of: 23/10 at Ladbrokes |
Draw Best Odd of: 13/5 at Ladbrokes |
Sydney FCBest Odd of: 11/10 at Ladbrokes |
However, with Sydney being the defending champions in Australia, this will undoubtedly be their biggest test to date. There are a whole host of appealing markets for betting customers to take advantage of surrounding this encounter, with our top tip below perfect for those still unsure of who to back. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Melbourne City Team News & Form
Melbourne City have won all four of their opening A-League matches, scoring seven and conceding just one goal in the process. Their latest success was a comfortable 2-0 success away at Adelaide United, with on-loan Aston Villa man Ross McCormack having already scored three goals since his arrival in Australia. The Scottish international has developed an excellent partnership with Bruce Kamau, with the duo set to provide a significant threat to the Sydney FC defence. However, Osama Malik will miss out on Friday due to his red card against Adelaide last time out.
Sydney FC Team News & Form
Sydney FC come into this match off the back of a convincing 2-0 victory over Perth Glory, with Graham Arnold’s men having dropped just two points from their four matches to date. Brazilian forward Bobo has four goals in the same amount of games, with the former Besiktas man the biggest attacking threat for the visitors. The rest of the Sydney playing squad is dominated by home-grown talent, David Carney an experienced member of their roster. Despite scoring eight goals in the A-League already, four goals conceded will be a worry for fans travelling to Melbourne.
Head to Head
The two teams have 21 times in the past, with the duo each having six wins to their name from such matches, alongside nine draws. However, with Sydney FC having won both of their meetings last season, with a 6-1 aggregate scoreline, the visitors will come into this encounter full of confidence.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite sitting behind their opponents in the table and being away from home, it is Sydney FC who are the slight favourites with the majority of bookmakers. Those looking to back the visitors can get best odds of 11/10 at Ladbrokes, while the home side are slightly longer at 23/10 with the same bookmaker.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on both teams to score during the 90 minutes in Melbourne, which can be found at odds of 7/10 at William Hill.