The clash
Melbourne City will be back in action on Tuesday night when it takes on Adelaide United at ANZ Stadium.
Don’t forget to tune in as City LIVE presented by McDonald’s returns from 7:00pm!
This will be City’s second last match of the season, with finals now just around the corner.
City resumed its season in style last Saturday, knocking off this season’s premiers Sydney FC 2-0. Despite dominating the first 45 minutes, City didn’t get on the scoreboard until the second half when Craig Noone and Jamie Maclaren were both able to find the back of the net.
Maclaren now sits on 19 goals for the season and is tied for the golden boot with Sydney striker Adam Le Fondre, both players having two matches remaining for the season.
City had quality performances all over the park in the win. The central defensive partnership between Richard Windbichler and Curtis Good was crucial in keeping a clean sheet while Adrian Luna and Florin Berenguer were both creative in midfield.
Adelaide has been undefeated since the season re-start, coming away with two wins and two draws from its four fixtures so far.
There will be a lot riding on this match for both teams with Adelaide looking to put further space between itself and Western United who are hot on their heels for a spot in the top six.
For City, a win would clinch second spot on the table for the first time in the club’s history, which would secure a semi-final appearance. In a season that has been as unpredictable as it gets, Erick Mombaerts has done a superb job to get the squad into this position in what is his first season at the helm.
Tuesday’s match should be a great spectacle for fans with City’s attacking game style coming up against a team in Adelaide who has been much more attacking under Carl Veart, and with so much on the line for both teams, neither will die wondering.
Last time they met
The last meeting between these two teams saw City suffer a disappointing defeat. It was a fast start with both teams finding the back of the net in the first 16 minutes, but two goals in five minutes before half time was enough for Adelaide to pick up all three points at home.
Craig Noone was City’s goalscorer while Ben Halloran scored a double and George Blackwood got on the scoresheet for the home side.
Team news
Scott Jamieson has left the Hunter Valley hub, returning to Melbourne for the birth of his first child. After coming over to New South Wales late, also due to family reasons, Rostyn Griffiths is named in the squad after returning to full training.
1.Tom GLOVER (gk), 2.Scott GALLOWAY, 3.Scott JAMIESON, 4.Harrison DELBRIDGE, 6.Josh BRILLANTE, 9.Jamie MACLAREN, 10.Florin BERENGUER 11.Craig NOONE, 13.Nathaniel ATKINSON, 19.Lachlan WALES, 20.Adrian LUNA, 21.Ramy NAJJARINE, 22.Curtis GOOD, 30.Moudi NAJJAR, 34.Connor METCALFE, 35.Raphael BORGES RODRIGUEZ, 39.Idrus ABDULAHI, 40.Richard WINDBICHLER, 46.Joe GAUCI, 49.Stefan COLAKOVSKI
Ins: 7.Rostyn GRIFFITHS (completes quarantine), (promoted), 35.Raphael BORGES RODRIGUES (promoted), 39.Idrus ABDULAHI (promoted)
Outs: 3.Scott JAMIESON (family reasons)
How to watch
With the City family watching on from home, we’ve got you covered leading into kick-off, at half-time and full-time with City LIVE, presented by McDonald’s. City LIVE will be live from 7:00pm on our official Facebook and YouTube channels as well as right here on our website.
You can catch all the action from the match live at 7:30pm on FOX Sports, Kayo Sports or the MyFootball Live App.
What’s next?
City’s final match of the season will be played on Wednesday 19 August against Western United. The 2020 Finals Series will then begin on the following weekend.
