A huge three points will be on the line at AAMI Park this Saturday night in the third and final Melbourne Derby of the A-League Men’s season.
City will head into the clash full of confidence after returning to winning ways last weekend thanks to Lawrence Wong’s first professional goal.
However, a significant challenge awaits against a Victory side that has proven to be a tough opponent in recent meetings.
Here are all of the major talking points ahead of what shapes up to be another blockbuster Derby:
Defensive Reinforcements Arrive
City’s squad will be bolstered by the return of key defensive personnel, with both Kai Trewin and Samuel Souprayen available for selection after recovering from injury.
Trewin has not featured since January 25 when a quad issue forced him off the field early against Macarthur, while Souprayen missed last weekend’s win with a minor niggle.
In their absence last weekend, captain Aziz Behich stepped into an unfamiliar central defensive role alongside Germán Ferreyra, who delivered a Player of the Match performance in his second consecutive start.
The duo played a crucial role in City’s clean sheet against Perth, but with Trewin and Souprayen back in contention, Head Coach Aurelio Vidmar faces a selection headache.
Given their impressive form earlier in the season, it may be difficult to resist the temptation to bring the familiar pairing straight back into the starting XI.
A Midfield Reshuffle
While City celebrated three points last weekend, the win came at a cost, with Steven Ugarkovic suffering a hamstring injury that will see him sidelined for the coming weeks.
His absence will force Vidmar into at least one change in midfield.
Zane Schreiber appears the most logical candidate to step into Ugarkovic’s role, particularly given his recent Derby experience. The young midfielder was a late inclusion in the starting XI for December’s Christmas Derby, replacing the injured Jimmy Jeggo on that occasion.
Another potential option is Nathaniel Atkinson, who has been deployed in midfield at times this season.
Meanwhile, Andreas Kuen is also back in contention for selection after recovering from injury, though he is unlikely to be a direct replacement for Ugarkovic given his usual more attacking role.
A Long Time Between Drinks
It has been over 600 days since City last claimed a Derby victory, a streak Vidmar and his team will be eager to break. Three of the last six encounters have ended in draws, including December’s Christmas Derby – our last meeting.
On that occasion, Yonatan Cohen opened the scoring with a superb first-half goal, only for Victory to mount a late fightback and salvage a point.
With Victory currently sitting just one point ahead on the ladder, City has extra motivation to turn the tide and leapfrog their crosstown rivals as the season enters its decisive stages.
While we do hold a game in hand, securing all three points on Saturday would provide a significant boost in the race for finals positioning.
With so much at stake, the stage is set for another thrilling chapter in the Melbourne Derby rivalry.
Fixture Details
A-League Men: Round 20
Melbourne Victory v Melbourne City FC
Saturday 22 February, 7:35pm KO
AAMI Park
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