Melbourne City’s A-League title credentials have been given a mighty boost in the past few weeks, with 14 goals scored in three games from an attack that is looking irresistible.
Yet their real test will arrive this weekend when they host defending champions Melbourne Victory on Saturday afternoon.
City’s burst of form has not been entirely unexpected, given the talent they possess in the final third and the opposition they have faced, yet the manner in which they have demolished their rivals has been scintillating.
Two 5-1 victories in consecutive weeks over bottom-dwellers Perth Glory and Central Coast Mariners were followed up with another dominant 4-0 win over the hapless Newcastle Jets on Sunday.
Aaron Mooy netted a brace to take his tally to six goals and eight assists, while Uruguayan Bruno Fornaroli also grabbed a double for a season total of nine.
Mooy’s form for both club and country has been a highlight of the season, and he has a canny ability to produce moments of magic even when he is not playing his best football. Similarly, Fornaroli’s expert finishing has been delightful in recent weeks.
City top the table on goals scored, with their 27 well ahead of the next potent strikeforces of Western Sydney Wanderers and Brisbane Roar on 16 each. They have taken the most shots – 122 – and have the best conversion rate – more than 22 per cent.
Despite those positive statistics it has been a topsy-turvy season for John van ‘t Schip, whom many fans are still unconvinced by.
City leaked 13 goals in their first six games and have struggled to maintain a consistent back line due to injuries. Their gung-ho approach in attack has seen them face 49 shots on target in 10 matches.
And while they have shipped just three goals in their last four fixtures, three of those came against three of the worst attacks in the A-League.
Against Melbourne Victory it will be an entirely different proposition.
An astonishing 52 goals have been scored in just 17 Melbourne derby fixtures, an average of more than three per game. Based on the way both these two teams have approached their football this season, expect more of the same.
City were punished in the last derby back in October for their timid approach during the first half, duly falling behind 2-0 going into the break. Yet their stronger intent to press Victory and some astute substitutions from van ‘t Schip changed the game’s flow in the second period.
Steve Kuzmanovski and Stefan Mauk replaced Michael Zullo and Robert Koren and played a vital role in clawing City back to 2-2. A Besart Berisha injury-time winner sealed the three points for Victory, however.
While defence is still a concern for City, lately they have managed to find stability with the return of Patrick Kisnorbo alongside Connor Chapman and Ivan Franjic’s return to fitness to occupy the right-back slot.
The Socceroo provided two assists against Newcastle and his battle with Victory’s attack-minded left-back Daniel Georgievski should be a fascinating duel.
The scariest thing about Victory, however, is that they are still looking title material even without playing their best football. Kevin Muscat refuses to accept the team are in a form rut, despite back-to-back 2-0 defeats to Western Sydney and Wellington Phoenix, yet they are definitely lacking an edge from last season.
This campaign has been littered with wasteful finishing from Victory.
They have made just 87 shots on target in nine games with a conversion rate of just 16.1 per cent. It is a big drop from their overall success rate last season of almost 22 per cent. They currently sit fifth in the goals scored table, while last season they topped it with 56 in 30 matches.
Their front quartet of Besart Berisha, Kosta Barbarouses, Fahid Ben Khalfallah and Gui Finkler have produced some beautiful combinations, but the final ball has often been lacking. A drop in passing accuracy to 76.7 per cent may be partly to blame.
Against Western Sydney on the weekend, Barbarouses fluffed a great chance to put his side ahead after combining brilliantly with Berisha. It has been a common theme, unfortunately, but one that will likely change.
For even though Berisha has been out of sorts this season, missing chances he would usually gobble up, the Albanian has still netted six in eight games. Six in eight, that’s a damn good rate. That he should have more than that tally shows how dangerous Victory will be when they click back into their ruthless best.
Victory have to navigate a trip to Perth midweek, giving them three games within the space of seven days, including two away days. How much strain that puts on the squad could play a big role in the Melbourne derby.
City, meanwhile, are yet to pass any true test against title contenders this season. While they have easily defeated Perth, Adelaide United, Central Coast (twice) and Newcastle, they have lost to both the Wanderers and Victory and drawn with Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar.
This is a crucial clash for both clubs, irrespective of the bragging rights. City have a chance to firmly announce themselves as a genuine trophy chance, while Victory desperately need to rediscover their mojo.
It promises to be another cracking contest.
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