Melbourne Victory’s Men and Women both travel to Sydney this weekend for the A-Leagues UNITE Round.
ROUND 12
Both Melbourne Victory Men and Women will make the trip to Sydney this weekend as the inaugural A-Leagues UNITE Round kicks off.
Jeff Hopkins’ side are coming off three losses in a row and will be looking to end their form slump as they take on Perth Glory at Leichhardt Oval on Friday afternoon.
Tony Popiovic’s side will look to continue their stellar unbeaten start to the season as they face the Central Coast Mariners at Allianz Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
THE VELVET SLEDGEHAMMER
Zinedine Machach is loving life so far this season for Victory with the French-Morooccan having scored four goals and provided three assists already in his debut campaign.
The last time Zizou made the trip to Allianz Stadium, the midfielder introduced himself to the league in stunning fashion.
WOMEN RE-WRITING ROUND 5
Our girls in blue will face Perth Glory for the second time already this season and will be looking to go one better than last.
Hopkins’ side made the trip to Perth on Saturday 18 November and left with a point after a dramatic 2-2 draw.
After going 1-0 down, a Rachel Lowe scored a brace in a matter of minutes which seemingly had secured Victory an unlikely three points on the road.
The game though had one more twist in store, as in the final minute of injury time, Perth Gloy’s Hana Lowry stepped up once again and secured a brace of her own, tying the scores at 2-2.
A win from our girls in blue would ensure they stay in the hunt for finals and bring back some much needed form heading into the second half of the season.
Match Details
Melbourne Victory v Perth Glory
Friday 12 January
Kick-off: 5.00pm (AEDT)
Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
Men Continuing Their Run
The last time our boys in blue faced the Mariners was on Sunday 3 December where Tony Popovic’s returned home with a point.
The Mariners took an early lead in the 16th minute when Alou Kuol capitalised on a defensive lapse from Roderick Miranda, slotting the ball into the back of the net with a clinical left-footed finish.
Bruno Fornaroli then showcased his goal-scoring prowess with a stunning right-footed shot from outside the box, leaving the Mariners’ goalkeeper with no chance, levelling the scores just before half-time.
The second half continued to provide end-to-end action, with both teams pushing for a decisive advantage. And then, in the 52nd minute, Nishan Velupillay put Victory ahead with a remarkable right-footed shot from outside the box, giving his team a 2-1 lead.
However, the Mariners fought back, earning a penalty in the 73rd minute after a contentious handball by Fabian Monge. Ángel Torres stepped up and converted the spot-kick with a composed left-footed shot, levelling the score at 2-2.
Since then, our boys in blue have won four of their last five matches, scoring 12 goals in that stretch.
The only match where Victory failed to walk away with all three points in that time was against Melbourne City in the away Christmas Derby.
Match Details:
Central Coast v Melbourne Victory
Date: Saturday 13 January
Time: 5:15pm (AEDT)
Location: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
