Melbourne City FC will look to return to winning ways when it takes on Brisbane Roar away from home in A-League Men action.
The team’s title tilt increasingly rests on the outcome of each next game, with Western United close behind with games in hand, so the team will be looking to secure all three points and tighten its grip on first.
A win away from home will be especially important after a period of stagnation following draws against Western United and, most recently, Melbourne Victory.
The 37th Melbourne Derby ended 1-1 in an incredibly tense affair that saw few chances conceded for either side for the majority of the game.
Marco Rojas opened the scoring but Curtis Good was able to equalise on the stroke of half-time with a pinpoint header from Florin Berenguer’s corner.
The City boys finished strong, peppering Ivan Kelava and the Victory goal face, but just couldn’t find the all-important winner as they were forced to settle for a solitary point.
They’ll be looking to claim all three when they come up against the Roar however, with a win against Warren Moon’s 11th-placed side looming crucial on the same night that Victory and Western go toe-to-toe in a clash that could aid our Premiership hopes.
City and Brisbane have already met once this season, with Patrick Kisnorbo’s side running out 2-1 winners at home thanks to goals from Good and Connor Metcalfe. On that night, the visiting Roar made a late fightback and nearly could have equalised if not for a disallowed goal, so the City boys will look to win more comprehensively this time around.
Despite their lowly ladder position, Moon’s side are in solid form recently, winning their past two games against Wellington Phoenix and Perth Glory, so City will need to be wary of any complacency.
The team’s chances are, however, perhaps bolstered by this fixture being played in Queensland, with City yet to lose an interstate game – the team has performed much better on the road (2.33 points per game) than at AAMI (1.54) this season.
On the flip side, Kisnorbo’s side will be up against it as the team deals with the absences of four Socceroos in Mathew Leckie, Jamie Maclaren, Marco Tilio and the aforementioned Metcalfe.
Such large holes in the City starting lineup creates opportunities for the likes of Stefan Colakovski, Jordan Bos and Taras Gomulka, who were all handed starts when the team last had to deal with a similar Socceroos exodus, though Tsubasa Endoh will be another who could be brought into the XI to take on the Roar.
Match Details
A-League Men
Brisbane Roar FC vs Melbourne City FC
Wednesday 23 March, kick-off 7:35pm
Moreton Daily Stadium
