Arthur Diles is looking forward to a buzzing AAMI Park crowd cheering on Melbourne Victory in their Big Blue Elimination Final.
Second up in Melbourne Victory’s Finals double-header against rivals Sydney FC on Saturday, May 2, kick-off 7:40pm AEST, the Boys in Blue simply must kill or be killed in order to progress through to the Isuzu UTE A-League Finals Series Semi-Final stage.
Securing a vital three points against Western Sydney Wanderers at CommBank Stadium in Round 26, combined with a 2-2 draw between Sydney and Auckland FC, confirmed Victory’s place in fourth on the ladder to close out the regular season.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Diles, primed for his second Finals series as Head Coach, talked about how his side can benefit from playing in front of a home crowd, something they exercised in January’s 4-0 thrashing of the Sky Blues.
“We’ve earned the privilege and the right to play at home, which is fantastic for us.
“You’ve got our game, which will be a fantastic spectacle. And then you’ve got the women playing before us in a double-header. We expect this place to be buzzing tomorrow night, and we can’t wait to get out there and see this place full.
“I think it’ll be a great battle all over the park. They’ve had one of the best defences in the league – we’ve got a great attack. It’s going to come down to who makes the least amount of errors and who can win both boxes; that’s what we’ve got to be ready for.”
With the team returning unscathed from the winning trip to Western Sydney, Diles was pleased to reveal positive updates on Juan Mata, who featured off the bench at CommBank Stadium, as well as Reno Piscopo and Franco Lino after each was a late withdrawal from Round 26.
“Juan’s been fantastic the last two weeks. Last week, he had joined in full training, so he was ready to go for the Wanderers match, and this week, he’s just continued that. He’s up for selection to start.
“Reno’s come back, he pulled up sore last week. Lino’s recovered as well. They’re back now, full fitness and ready to go.”
Watch Diles’ full press conference below.
