Melbourne City is on the road for one final time this A-League Men’s regular season, travelling to face Western Sydney Wanderers at CommBank Stadium on Saturday night.
With just three games to play and sitting second on the table, Aurelio Vidmar’s side will be eager to continue the winning momentum in what shapes up as a pivotal round in the race for Finals—and potentially the Premiers Plate.
Here are all of the key talking points ahead of Saturday’s clash:
KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON
A run of five wins from our last six games has catapulted City up to second place, putting us in a strong position for a potential AFC Champions League Elite berth.
That top-two standing not only ensures a direct path to the Semi-Finals, but could soon become even more significant.
While just a few weeks ago Auckland FC looked untouchable, a recent dip in form from the league newcomers has cracked the door open for an unlikely late-season Premiership push.
Should Auckland slip up in their tough away trip to face Melbourne Victory earlier on Saturday, a City win later in the night could see us close the gap to just a single point.
Vidmar’s men won’t be getting ahead of themselves, but it’s no doubt a crucial fixture with our final two matches to be played at home.
Western Sydney will also be fired up for this one, sitting just four points behind us and still in the race for a top-two finish. The Wanderers are currently undefeated in their past nine games, so a big challenge awaits in Sydney.
PACKING OUR SHOOTING BOOTS
While we’ve had the league’s best defensive record for much of the season, our ability to convert chances has been tested.
Encouragingly, recent weeks have seen a more fluent attacking City outfit with the return of key attacking players like Max Caputo, Marco Tilio and Andreas Kuen.
We’ve netted three goals in two of our last three fixtures—including on our most recent away trip—and the attacking signs continue to improve.
But Saturday’s game poses a big test: Western Sydney is the highest scoring side in the competition and will be eager to prove it again in front of their home fans.
With Samuel Souprayen still sidelined, a potential central pairing of Germán Ferreyra and Kai Trewin—both in strong form—could be vital in shutting down the Wanderers’ forward line. At the other end, Tilio and Kuen will again be looked to for moments of attacking brilliance.
CHANGES IN THE SQUAD
The only disappointment from last week’s win over Brisbane was news that Mathew Leckie would again be sidelined, suffering a hamstring injury in his short return from a calf issue.
Looking ahead to Saturday, Vidmar has a few extra names to choose from.
Harry Shillington, Emin Durakovic and Zane Schreiber are all in the mix for selection, while new signing Dakota Ochsenham also joins the travelling group after arriving during the week on an injury replacement deal.
In terms of the starting XI, one of Steven Ugarkovic – a half-time substitution at the weekend – or Zane Schreiber appears the likeliest inclusions, while Yonatan Cohen also could push for a start following three consecutive substitute appearances
FIXTURE DETAILS
A-League Men: Round 27
Western Sydney Wanderers v Melbourne City FC
CommBank Stadium
Saturday 19 April, 7:35pm KO
Live on 10Bold and Paramount+
