Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat has urged his team to swap their tag of the A-League’s great performers and become ruthless winners ahead of their table-topping meeting with Perth.
Led by the league’s best attacking quartet of Besart Berisha, Gui Finkler, Fahid Ben Khalfallah and Kosta Barbarouses, with Archie Thompson in reserve, Victory have put on a dazzling forward-line show this season.
But Victory, the bookies’ favourites for the title since round one, have been denied top spot by what Muscat calls a lack of concentration at crucial moments.
On Saturday night, they have the chance to put those lapses behind them and overtake the Glory in the tight A-League premiership race.
“We don’t want to go out there, put on a performance and not beat teams,” Muscat said.
“We want to put on a good performance, no doubt, but we want to beat everyone.
“It’s set up very nice to be a good spectacle.”
The Glory also have issues with their form, with a six-game winless streak dating back to early January.
The Victory have just one win since the league’s resumption from the Asian Cup break.
Muscat bristled at suggestions his side were underperforming, with a form ladder from round 10 onwards putting his team out of the top six.
“Thankfully, we look at the ladder from round one to 27,” he said.
The meeting with the Glory also gives the Victory a chance to record a first win over Kenny Lowe’s side since March.
Muscat’s men have been beaten twice by the Glory – once in Geelong and once in the FFA Cup – this season, with the Victory also throwing away a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 in their last meeting in Perth.
Another loss on Saturday would strengthen Perth’s grip on the premiership, though the Glory will need to bypass fit-again French defender Matthieu Delpierre on their way to goal.
Muscat confirmed Delpierre would return to the starting 11 for the first time since October.
“He’s eased his way back in … it’s not as if we’re rushing him back in. I think we’ve been pretty good with the timing,” he said.
Finkler is also a likely starter despite being substituted in last week’s 3-2 home loss to Wellington.
The meeting of the two title hopefuls also brings an AAMI Park return for former Victory man Mitch Nichols, who departed Melbourne last season in acrimonious circumstances.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Game of the season anyone? Glad I don't have any other commitments tonight. Keen to set myself up in front of the tv and turn the volume up. A packed AAMI Park is one of the great sights in the ALeague and for a top of the table clash I expect the place to be bouncing. I see it being a 2-2 draw.
MVDave
Guest
Heading off to this tonight. Game is all but a sell out and should be a cracking atmosphere. With the return of Delpierre at the back l hope Victory will be a little tighter in defence...but going forward they look so good. Even in the loss last week Victory played some terrific football. I don't want them to change that as they have been a joy to watch for most of the season.