Melbourne City have continued their perfect start to the 2017-18 A-League season with a 2-0 win over Adelaide United on the road.
Final score
Adelaide United 0
Melbourne City 2
Melbourne City will look to make it four straight wins to start the season when they travel to face Adelaide United on Saturday night. Join The Roar from 7:30pm (AEDT) for live scores and commentary.
Three games, three wins. Melbourne City could not have started season 2017/18 any better. In contrast to previous seasons, City flew under the radar over the transfer period yet have pulled no punches in the opening few rounds.
The Melbourne side are yet to experience a four-game unbeaten run to start the season and are creeping up on their longest winning streak of five games set in the 2013/14 season.
Ross McCormack opened his A-League account in style from a set piece which proved to be the difference for the home side against a plucky Wellington outfit. McCormack was recruited as the injury replacement for Bruno Fornaroli and will certainly be one to watch in this match.
A late Mitch Austin goal meant Adelaide United had to share the points against the Victory last Friday night. Like City, the Reds are unbeaten after three games and would love nothing more than to make it two from two against Melbourne sides this early in the season.
Unfortunately for Adelaide their newly found hero Vince Lia will have to put his impressive form on hold as the 32-year-old suffers a slight set back due to picking up a knee injury.
The Reds also progressed to the FFA Cup final for the second time, defeating the Wanderers 2-1 during the week.
The last time these two sides met was in April this year on the cusp of the finals series where a Tim Cahill goal proved to be the difference in the end.
Adelaide will be buoyed by the match being played at Hindmarsh this week, having won their last two matches against City at the ground.
The Reds make several changes ahead of this clash with Ben Warland, Mark Ochieng, Lachlan Brook and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos all being promoted to the first team. Vince Lia, Johan Absalonsen and Ersan Gulum will all left out due to injury.
Adelaide will have to find new routes in on goal as Lia and Absalonsen, who have contributed four out of Adelaide’s five goals this season, are out this week.
Striker George Blackwood will be expected to lift in the absence of several key players. Having moved from Sydney this past window Blackwood impressed from the onset with a goal in Adelaide’s FFA Cup win over the Victory.
Manager Marco Kurz has invested heavily in the 20-year-old having started him in all of the opening three matches.
City meanwhile will most likely field an unchanged line up to the side which defeated the Phoenix last week. Neil Kilkenny and Ruon Tongyik have been included in the extended squad.
Adelaide will have to be conscious in defence when they walk out on Saturday evening, having conceded three goals so far this season in the opening 15 minutes of play.
This fixture highly anticipated with two of the league’s undefeated sides going head to head. A massive test for the home side who come up against an inform City side without several key players. As for the visitors this is the first real hurdle in the new season. Despite it still being early this contest could prove whether City are the real deal.
Prediction
City to pinch it late.
City 2-1.
Will Melbourne City add to their winning streak or will they be brought back to earth by an inform Adelaide outfit?
Join The Roar from 7:50pm (AEDT) to find out.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Hopefully the insipid days of JVS, oh and JA, are behind us. Joyce appears to be a pragmatic coach interested in results rather than sexy football. The team seems more cohesive this season and better drilled. Anyway the next two games will be interesting.
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
A mighty win by melbourne city,but lets hope they dont get complacent and fall a sleep behind the wheel,and start leaking easy goals again like last year.They must keep this performance every game.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Hahaha, I was scratching my head thinking "yeah, I'll try that on the missus!!!" Then I thought better of it. Self preservation and all that :)
Kangajets
Guest
Correction Both right
Kangajets
Guest
Stevo and nemeses U r born right. Sometimes football isn’t fair Decent game tho
Stevo
Roar Rookie
One team scored goals the other didn't. That's football.
Nemesis
Guest
Only 1 team came to play football. Only 1 team looked impressive. Yet, the other team won.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
We haven't been pretty so far, not the possession based beautiful football once promised by JVS but for now I'll take these results any day. Under JVS we would have capitulated and lost.
Athos Sirianos
Roar Guru
Melbourne City might just have removed their pretenders tag which has haunted them for the last few seasons. A massive win for the visitors in what was a fiery affair between two sides who came to play. Two first half goals from Ross McCormack proved to be the difference in the end as the visitors withstood significant pressure, especially after going down to ten men early in the second half. City return to Melbourne to face Sydney in a top of the table clash while Adelaide travel to Perth.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Never had the pleasure of residing in Sydney, Stuart.
Athos Sirianos
Roar Guru
FULL TIME City become just the fourth club to win the first four matches of the season. The match certainly lived up to the hype. Adelaide - 0 City - 2
Athos Sirianos
Roar Guru
96' Isaias is unable to find the back of the net from the set piece and that should be the three points wrapped up for City.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
This game needs to end quickly or my marriage is on the rocks.
Athos Sirianos
Roar Guru
95' Adelaide win themselves a corner. The ball falls to O'Doherty, his shot is blocked but the Reds win another free kick close to goal. There appears to be a bit of infighting between Jakobsen and Cahill following the ref's decision.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
'94 A late corner for Adelaide.
Athos Sirianos
Roar Guru
93' Adlung fires an audacious shot towards goal which is sprayed to the right hand side.
Athos Sirianos
Roar Guru
Matmour is replaced by Kitto and we have 6 minutes added on.
Athos Sirianos
Roar Guru
90' O'Doherty nearly scores with his first touch, his volley off the cross going wide and summing up Adelaide United's night. Adelaide - 0 City - 2 .
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Another six minutes.........maybe if I take the ipad into the bathroom? She's getting really angry.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
'88 I've been watching football for eight hours straight and the handbrake is getting a little upset..........any suggestions?