NPL preview: Victory v South Melbourne

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Melbourne Victory will be eager to put PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria side South Melbourne to the test when the two teams meet on Sunday.

Please note, this match will be played behind closed doors. Click here for more information.

South Melbourne prevailed 1-0 when the teams last met in April in a match that saw Victory’s young side defend astutely in the face of a formidable strike force.

That performance will give Gareth Naven’s side some encouragement, despite a disappointing 3-0 loss to Avondale FC last week.

After going behind early, Victory recovered to hold Avondale at bay and create a number of chances of its own, with Chris Theoharous showing plenty of promise in the front third.

But Victory will need to be wary of a South Melbourne team that is winless from its past three outings.

Defeats to Oakleigh Cannons and Bentleigh Greens in the space of nine days have seen South lose its place at the PS4 NPL Victoria summit.

It now trails the Greens by five points and will be looking to keep the pressure on its title rivals with a win on Sunday.

Goal-scoring ace Milos Lujic will likely lead the line up front, with the likes of Marcus Schroen, Leigh Minopoulos, NIck Epifano and former Hyundai A-League midfielder Matthew Millar in close support.

A win for Victory would be a major shot in the arm as it enters the final stages of its 2016 campaign.

PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria 2016 Round 22

Melbourne Victory v South Melbourne 
Sunday, July 24