Melbourne Victory Men travel to take on the Wellington Phoenix at Sky Stadium on Saturday, April 12.
Returning to action after a bye round, Victory cross the Tasman for an important clash in securing a place in the Isuzu Ute A-League Finals.
Defeating Wellington 1-0 in their previous match-up at AAMI Park in February, Victory will hope to extend their favourable head-to-head record against the Phoenix on Saturday.
Melbourne Victory
Playing out a truly thrilling 5-3 win over Original Rivals Adelaide United in Round 24, Victory was sadly dealt with an unfortunate bye round last week after such an enjoyable game.
Although it was a strong team performance, Socceroos wingers Nishan Velupillay and Daniel Arzani stole the show at AAMI Park.
Velupillay continued his top form in scoring a goal and providing two excellent assists, while Arzani wrote his name on the scoresheet twice with a phenomenal performance down the right wing.
The heroics of Nikos Vergos certainly captured the hearts of the Vuck faithful, firing home a quick-fire brace to defeat the Reds.
It was also a special moment for young defender Joshua Inserra, who made his A-League starting debut and impressed fans and coaching staff alike.
“He was outstanding… for him to come in such a big game and do what he did, I couldn’t be prouder of him,” said head coach Arthur Diles on Inserra’s performance post-game.
Sat in fifth place approaching round 26, Victory sits three points clear in the top six with four games remaining – fighting to book their spot in the finals series amid a highly competitive race.
Round 26 Squad
1. Mitch LANGERAK, 3. Adama TRAORE, 4. Lachlan JACKSON, 5. Brendan HAMILL, 6. Ryan TEAGUE, 7. Daniel ARZANI, 8. Zinedine MACHACH, 9. Nikolaos VERGOS, 10. Bruno FORNAROLI, 14. Jordi VALADON, 16. Joshua INSERRA, 17. Nishan VELUPILLAY, 18. Fabian MONGE, 19. Jing REEC, 21. Roderick MIRANDA, 22. Joshua RAWLINS, 23. Alexander BADOLATO, 25. Jack DUNCAN, 27. Reno PISCOPO, 28. Kasey BOS
Ins: 3. Adama TRAORE (promoted), 6. Ryan TEAGUE (return from injury)
Outs: 11. Clerismario SANTOS RODRIGUES (injured)
Unavailable: Nil
Wellington Phoenix
Putting an end to a devastating eight-game winless streak, Wellington Phoenix’s 2-1 away win over the Newcastle Jets was a great relief for the New Zealand-based club.
Helping his country secure World Cup qualification a few weeks prior, Kosta Barbarouses bagged his ninth goal of the season as he continues to lead his team from the front.
The 35-year-old former Victory attacker helped his side beat Victory in their Unite Round fixture earlier this season with a late winner – a threat that the Vuck keep an eye on.
While the Nix are set 11th and very likely out of finals contention, Giancarlo Italiano will certainly want his side to finish the campaign on a high note and look to claim as many points as possible against Victory on Saturday.
