Nicki Flannery hopes a match-ready Melbourne Victory can get the better of Melbourne City in the Christmas Derby.
The box-office Ninja A-League clash takes place on Tuesday, December 23, kick-off 4:30pm AEDT, with Jeff Hopkins’ side looking to extend their lead at the top of the ladder.
Victory are on a two-game winning run, having edged Adelaide United 1-0 earlier in December before a dominant performance saw them beat Newcastle Jets 3-1 on Friday night, with Flannery scoring the third off the bench.
Now facing City, who had their last game postponed and were not in action over the weekend, the target is another three points.
Speaking during her pre-match press conference, Flannery talked about how the contrast in recent schedules can be to Victory’s advantage.
“It’s hard because they haven’t got this momentum that we’re fortunate to have this week.
“I think it’s difficult to prep for a derby when it’s 10-14 days to prep for it. It’s a lot of time to think about the opposition and how to prepare the bodies.”
Flannery also dialled into the dynamics of the Melbourne Derby, detailing how Victory will look to channel their emotions in the right way to get the upper hand.
“I think it’s just the unspoken feeling of a rivalry. I feel that if we can get in front of them, get in their face nice and early, and just impose ourselves and our game onto them, then we won’t give them breathing space.
“It doesn’t change really. We just know that there’s that extra bit of happiness when you do beat them.”
Watch Flannery’s full press conference below.
