ALM PREVIEW: Auckland v City

The time for waiting is over.

After months of pre-season preparations, our City boys are back in A-League Men’s action this Saturday afternoon, travelling across the ditch to face reigning Champions Auckland FC at Go Media Stadium.

It’s certainly no easy assignment to begin the new campaign, with Aurelio Vidmar’s side set to face a hostile environment in an Elimination Final rematch as we look to get our season off to a strong start.

With plenty of new faces, selection decisions and early-season storylines to keep an eye on, here are three of the biggest talking points ahead of Matchweek 1!

Opportunities in midfield

While there was plenty of excitement surrounding the release of our extended squad on Thursday, it wasn’t all good news.

Two of City’s biggest off-season arrivals, Danish playmaker Emiliano Marcondes and Brazilian midfielder Matheus Rossetto, will both have to wait a little longer to make their competitive debuts after suffering ankle and calf injuries respectively.

Further complicating matters is a hamstring injury to Alessandro Lopane, who had been shaping as another strong contender for a starting role in midfield.

While the timing of the injuries is far from ideal, it does present an opportunity for others to step up and make their mark.

One of the more encouraging inclusions in Thursday’s squad was Mathew Leckie, who could again play an important role in midfield after putting in a huge shift there in last season’s Elimination Final against Auckland.

Besian Kutleshi was another who started in midfield that evening, with the 17-year-old showing he’s more than capable of handling the occasion in a big away fixture.

There’s no shortage of other options either, with Kavian Rahmani, Lawrence Wong and Takeshi Kanamori all spending time in midfield throughout last season.

And then there’s one of our newest arrivals.

Young talent Quinn MacNicol is in contention to make his City debut after joining from Brisbane Roar over the off-season, giving Vidmar another exciting option to consider.

With several spots potentially up for grabs, it’ll be fascinating to see how our midfield lines up when the teams are revealed on Saturday.

Who gets the nod between the sticks?

It’s one of the biggest selection questions heading into the new season – and we might have to wait until an hour before kick-off to get our answer.

With Patrick Beach departing for France over the off-season, the battle to become City’s new number one has been heating up throughout pre-season.

Academy graduate James Nieuwenhuizen and new signing Macklin Freke have both been given opportunities to impress, with Vidmar keeping his cards close to his chest when asked about the decision earlier this week.

Nieuwenhuizen will be hoping to build on an impressive introduction to A-League football last April, when he conceded just once across two appearances as City recorded back-to-back wins.

Freke, meanwhile, brings plenty of senior experience after making 75 appearances across all competitions during his time at Brisbane Roar.

Both have shown their capabilities throughout pre-season, leaving Vidmar and his coaching staff with a difficult decision ahead of Saturday’s opener.

Keep an eye on our social channels around 2:00pm AEDT on Saturday to see who gets the nod!

Our newest Socceroo ready to make an impact

It’s been one of the biggest talking points of the off-season, and now the time has almost arrived.

After more than a decade playing his club football overseas, Socceroos star Awer Mabil is set to make his competitive Melbourne City debut on Saturday afternoon.

Arguably the biggest signing across the A-League this off-season, Mabil arrives with a wealth of international experience and a determination to make an immediate impact upon his return to Australian football.

And there’s a familiar partnership City fans will be particularly excited to see.

Mabil could line up down the left alongside Club captain and fellow Socceroo Aziz Behich, reuniting a combination we’ve become familiar with in green and gold over the years.

This time, though, it’ll be in City colours.

With his new number 11 shirt locked in and a full pre-season now behind him, all eyes will be on what Mabil can bring to our attack as the new campaign gets underway.