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Newcastle Jets vs Melbourne City: A-League live scores, blog

Roar Guru
2nd December, 2017
Where: McDonald Jones Stadium
When: 7:50pm AEDT
TV: Ten, Fox Sports
Betting: Jets $2.50, Draw $3.50, City $2.63
Dimitri Petratos of the Jets celebrates his goal during the round one A-League match between the Central Coast Mariners and the Newcastle Jets. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
Roar Guru
2nd December, 2017
103
1421 Reads

Match result:

Melbourne City have thrown some pedestrian form and an up and down week out the window to steal a valuable win in Newcastle.

» Click here to read the full match report

Final score
Newcastle Jets 1
Melbourne City 2

Match preview:

The Newcastle Jets, flying high after 8 rounds, welcome the second Victorian opponent in two weeks, as Melbourne City come to town to try and reverse a recent slump. Join The Roar at 7:50pm for live scores and updates.

On paper, the battle of second vs third actually looks like a close tussle. In reality, while that should indeed be the case, it is not for the reasons you might think.

Newcastle were, in a word, sensational last week, as they dismantled a Victory side that should have been allowed to play much better than they did.

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True, the loss of Milligan was pivotal to that result, however Newcastle had equalised and started to turn the screws on their opposition before Milligan left the field.

In fact, you might be tempted to say that Milligan’s send-off was, in part, due to the pressure exerted by the Novocastrians.

Melbourne City on the other hand, appear a team that are starting to fray at the edges. 100 per cent victorious in their first four games, Sydney beat them in round five, and Melbourne have not once looked the same since.

Their last two losses to Brisbane and Perth, directly or otherwise, have seen the loss of one coaching staff member this week, with rumours of more changes to come.

So, from a certain perspective, this really looks like an easy W for the home side. But again, looks can be deceiving.

Newcastle, ultimately, beat ten men last round, and suddenly in that game, Dimi Petratos went on a spree in-game that may haunt Victory for a long time.

Well, this week, Newcastle will (likely) have to perform against all 11-men, and you can be absolutely rest-assured that Melbourne, smarting off the back of losses in games they should have won, will be champing at the bit to prove the growing band of doubters wrong.

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If City can do what Victory couldn’t, and actually mark Petratos, it will be interesting to see how Newcastle respond.

So let’s not forget, this is second vs third, and it guarantees to be a close one.

Prediction
Newcastle will win, of that I am largely certain, but you just can’t shake the feeling that they will have to work hard for it. You would think that the chance to keep the pressure on Sydney for top spot, along with a home crowd backing, should be enough.

But Melbourne are still a force, internal issues aside. A fit and firing Cahill, and a positive McCormack, is the type of firepower that could overwhelm a Newcastle that likes to leak early goals (though, granted, concession of early goals seem to be a tonic for the home)

While I anticipate a much-improved Melbourne performance, I simply can’t go past Newcastle.

Newcastle Jets 2-1.

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