Melbourne City will be looking to continue its red-hot run of form when it takes on Western Sydney at CommBank Stadium this Sunday.
In what is set to be a highly anticipated showdown between two of the competition’s premiere sides this season, City will be hoping it can replicate the performance shown in the emphatic victory over Western United last weekend.
A goal-scoring spree inside the opening 25 minutes of the match saw a relentless City outfit put United to the sword, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead that it never looked like relinquishing.
Marco Tilio put in one of his best performance in City colours, racking up an early goal and assist on his way to earning Player of the Match honours.
Once again, City was able to call on a wealth of experience and talent from the substitutes bench, the likes of Scott Jaimeson and Andrew Nabbout coming on to make an immediate impact while last season’s Player of the Year, Florin Berenguer, saw his first minutes of the season.
Jamie Maclaren found the back of the net once more as he has done religiously this season, extending his goalscoring run out to an astonishing 10 straight games as he now eyes off more this Sunday.
Maclaren has scored 17 goals in 17 A-League Men appearances against the Wanderers, his most against any team and the most of any player against the club in the history of the competition.
Since taking over the reins as Head Coach, Rado Vidsosic has rarely tinkered with his winning recipe, continuing to stick with the same starting XI for the past four fixtures.
At full strength City has at times looked a class above the rest of the competition this season, the side sitting six points clear of the second placed Mariners with a game still in hand.
The squad showcases the perfect blend of experience and youth, with experienced heads like Mathew Leckie and Curtis Good leading the way for the likes of Tilio and 20-year-old left back Jordan Bos, who has continued to go from strength to strength.
The side may face a tougher test this week when it faces the third placed Wanderers on the road, as they look to bounce back from a shock 1-0 loss to Perth Glory last week.
Western Sydney enjoyed a stellar start to the 2022/23 season but have struggled in recent weeks, winning just one of their five matches since the World Cup break.
City has had the wood over the Wanderers in recent encounters, winning its past three games against the Sydney-based outfit.
Match Details
A-League Men: Round 12
Western Sydney Wanderers FC v Melbourne City FC
Sunday 15 January, 3:00pm KO
CommBank Stadium
