Melbourne City FC will play their first match against NPL Victoria opponents this pre-season as they face North Geelong Warriors at JL Murphy Reserve in Port Melbourne on Friday, kick-off 7:30pm
City come into the contest refreshed and revived from the confidence boosting 5-1 win over Wellington Phoenix in the Round of 16 of the FFA Cup.
5 different goalscorers found the back of the net in the win, with Bruno Fornaroli and Wade Dekker notching up their first goals for the Club.
This intriguing encounter will prove to be an important match for both sides as they prepare for two vastly different competitions.
For North Geelong, they will have it all to play for on September 25-27 as they fight to stave off the drop in the NPL Vicotira relegation playoff. After finishing third last in the league, the Warriors will face the winners of the second place playoff in NPL1 to determine their future in the top flight.
Although North Geelong finished third last, their results in the league have fluctuated all season, with some impressive results against the top sides.
Importantly for Melbourne City fans, North Geelong went unbeaten against our FFA Cup Quarter Finals opponents Heidelberg United with one 0-0 draw and a 3-3 draw at Olympic Village that saw Central Coast Mariners signing Dan Heffernan score in the final minutes to secure the Bergers a point.
City will need to keep an eye on Reardo Luka, Michael Anderson and Mark Paleka with the trio finding the back of the net multiple times this season for the Warriors.
See North Geelong’s highlights against Heidelberg United and their last home match against Dandenong Thunder
