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Melbourne City meet the Western Sydney Wanderers for the first time this season as the A League returns to Melbourne on Sunday. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 5.00pm (AEDT).
Sixth placed City have just returned from a two week training camp in Abu Dhabi where they played friendly’s against Ukrainian outfit FC Dnipro and the UAE’s Al Jazira.
While they failed to get a result in either game, coach John van’t Schip believed the mid-season camp and matches against foreign opposition will help his side maintain their rhythm coming into the second half of the season.
It’s a rhythm van’t Schip would be wise to uphold.
After a slow start to the season, City went into the Asian Cup break taking 10 points from a possible 15, including the 5-2 win against Newcastle. It was a run that coincided with the debut of Slovenian marquee, Robert Koren who scored a hattrick against the Jets and Damien Duff rediscovering the form he showed in the opening weeks of the season.
Van’t Schip may hand debuts to new signings, Singaporean international Safuwan Baharudin and ex-Glory defender Jack Clisby, while new Australian marquee Josh Kennedy will most likely have an impact from the bench.
Tony Popovic also has new faces in his squad with Vitor Saba released, in comes Japanese number 10 Yojiro Takahagi and Brendon Santalab is back in the matchday squad after a long injury lay-off.
Popovic will be hoping his side can continue their unbeaten run against the team formerly known as the Melbourne Heart and capture their first win of the season to keep their slim finals chances alive.
Much has been made of the Wanderers’ winless start to the season and their 2014 congested fixture list. But with three weeks between games, Popovic has had ample time to right the Wanderers ship and prepare his side to capture their first three points of the season.
The reigning champions of Asian club football are twelve points adrift of sixth-placed City, but with two games in hand they are a real chance of catching the top six, if they can recapture the form that has seen them play in two A-League finals campaigns.
Can the Wanderers continue their winning ways against Melbourne City, or will Josh Kennedy’s divine intervention deliver three points for City? Join The Roar Sunday afternoon at 5.00pm (AEDT) for live score updates and debate in our live blog.
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