Fresh from yet another away win, Melbourne City returns to home turf this Sunday for our first-ever clash against Auckland FC.
The surprise packet of the season, the league newcomers remain unbeaten and sit atop the table having conceded just one goal.
Here are the key talking points heading into the opening leg of Sunday’s doubleheader!
Haven’t got your tickets? Click here to grab them now!
Creating History
It’s been a season to remember for Auckland FC so far. The competition’s newest team sits on top of the ladder with a perfect six wins from six games.
They hadn’t conceded a goal until last weekend, setting the stage for a massive clash this Sunday evening.
It’s a challenge Aurelio Vidmar’s men won’t be backing down from, with City aiming to claim a big scalp and solidify our position in the top four.
Inaugural meetings have been kind to our City boys in recent years. We picked up victories over both Macarthur FC and Western United the first time we faced those sides, and we’ll be hoping for a similar result this weekend.
While there’s little that can be read into pre-season form, Vidmar and his coaching staff will have some familiarity with Auckland FC after meeting them in a friendly back in September.
Bringing Our Form Home
While four wins from six matches mark a solid start to the season, how those wins have come may have been a little surprising.
All four victories have come in away games (including three interstate trips), but we’re yet to pick up a point from our opening two home fixtures.
Our strong away form, particularly last weekend’s impressive 4-1 win in Brisbane, will give us plenty of confidence heading into Sunday. Now the challenge is to replicate that performance at AAMI Park.
Andreas Kuen (two goals, three assists) and Yonatan Cohen (three goals) have been in excellent form, and City fans will be eager to see their attacking duo shine again on home soil.
Who Leads the Line?
Following Andrew Nabbout’s season-ending injury, 17-year-old Medin Memeti was given his opportunity up front and made an immediate impact, scoring a goal and providing an assist in our away win over Perth.
Last weekend, Arion Sulemani was handed his first professional start after recently returning from a calf injury.
Vidmar opted for a tactical switch at half-time, bringing on Memeti for Sulemani, and it remains to be seen who will get the starting nod this Sunday.
An unexpected contender has also emerged in 17-year-old Mikey Ghossaini, who was named in City’s extended squad for the first time on Thursday.
The VPL1 U21 Golden Boot winner has been a prolific goalscorer, and while it would be a surprise to see him thrown straight into a starting XI, Vidmar has already proven he’s not afraid to back young talent this season.
FIXTURE DETAILS
A-League Men: Round 8
Melbourne City FC v Auckland FC
Sunday 15 December, 5:00pm KO
AAMI Park
