Melbourne City will be quickly back in action this Sunday afternoon, set to face Victory in the Melbourne Derby.
The short turnaround was initially expected to be even worse, with the clash originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon before it was pushed back a day due to extreme heat.
That news during the week was a big win for City given the weekend’s clash is set to be its third in the space of just a week.
It comes into the clash in some good form following a 3-0 win in Adelaide on Wednesday night, quickly bouncing back from a disappointing result against Western Sydney last Sunday.
16-year-old Daniela Galic was on the spot for her second goal of the season early in the second half midweek, finishing a great piece of build-up play from Rhianna Pollicina and Bryleeh Henry.
Not to be outdone, 17-year-old Caitlin Karic added her name to the scoresheet with a stunning finish in stoppage time, while fellow young talent, Leticia McKenna (20), also added a goal in between those two.
Dario Vidosic’s squad will be quickly moving on though, shifting their attention to Sunday’s Derby.
Captain Emma Checker saw her first start of the season in Adelaide while Melissa Barbieri also returned between the sticks, both helping City keep a clean sheet.
The short turnaround will test Checker’s match fitness with the medical staff set to determine whether she can keep her place in the starting line-up.
Rested midweek, fellow Matildas defender Karly Roestbakken will be pushing hard to make her first start in a City shirt.
There will be plenty of good headaches for Vidosic at the selection table, with the players further up the pitch also far from locked in.
After three consecutive starts, McKenna found herself back on the bench in Adelaide but responded with a goal to ensure she remains right in the selection mix.
Chelsea Blissett found herself a little further up the pitch on the left wing, with Julia Grosso slotting into the full-back position.
City will certainly need its best available XI out there given Victory has been in strong form coming into Sunday, currently undefeated in their last five.
They had previously won four in a row, but dropped a couple of points last time out – a huge nine days ago when compared to City’s last fixture.
Paige Zois opened the scoring on that night, but despite having plenty of chances, Victory couldn’t find a second which proved to be costly as Perth found a late equaliser to grab a share of the points.
Match Details
Liberty A-League: Round 10
Melbourne City FC v Melbourne Victory
Sunday 15 January, 5:00pm
Casey Fields
