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Western Sydney Wanderers FC
1
Match Complete
Melbourne Victory
2
| 86' |  | O. Toivonen | ||
| O. Riera |  | 77' | ||
| A. Baumjohann | | 74' | ||
| 63' | | C. Valeri | ||
| 48' | | S. Roux | ||
| 45' | | O. Toivonen |
| 24 | Shots | 8 | ||
| 6 | On Target | 3 | ||
| 14 | Fouls | 18 | ||
| 12 | Corners | 6 | ||
| 3 | Offsides | 4 | ||
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 | ||
| 1 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
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The absence of Keisuke Honda didn’t stop Melbourne Victory recording a 2-1 win away from home against the Western Sydney Wanderers.
Final score
Western Sydney Wanderers 1
Melbourne Victory 2
Round 11 represents an opportunity to make a statement for both Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory at ANZ Stadium in Sydney this Saturday evening at 7:50pm (AEST). Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match.
If the wheels haven’t completely fallen off the Wanderer’s season, then they are dangerously wobbling.
Things haven’t gone to plan so far for new coach Markus Babbel, who has steered a young team (in particular a young midfield) through this ‘developmental’ period to eighth on the table and six points off the finals.
Babbel’s frustration has been palpable, and one wonders if he truly knew what to expect from his first position outside of Europe.
And it appears that tonight he will be managing his side at home without arguably their best player Josh Risdon (who is with the Socceroos at the AFC Cup) and without their ultras – the Red and Black Bloc.
After most of them walked out of last week’s 2-0 loss to Victory’s local rivals City – and those who remained booed – Wanderers Chairman Paul Lederer was forced this week into an embarrassing open letter to fans urging them to stick with Babbel, who evidently ‘shone out’ against 13 other coaches he was up against for the job.
The chairman’s words have been backed up, in part, by the addition of a couple of new players in this transfer window.
Highly rated youth prospect Mathieu Cordier has been added to tonight’s squad (from their academy), while striker Kwame Yeboah has returned from years in Germany’s lower leagues and Borussia Monchengladbach’s academy to also be included in the Wanderers’ squad.
Given how much Western Sydney rely on striker Oriol Riera, some support and alternatives should boost Babbel’s repertoire.
Given their on and off the field problems, now isn’t the best time to be facing the Victory, who along with Perth has been the standout team so far this season – and pummelled Wanderers in their last recent meeting in Melbourne 4-0.
However, things aren’t quite as rosy in the Victory camp as the ladder might suggest. Despite being undefeated in eight games, Victory’s last two have ended in draws and were done without star import Keisuke Honda, who is out for another month with a hamstring.
Indeed, ironically, without Honda Victory have looked more like a family sedan than the Rolls Royce they are with him in the side.
Only Ola Toivonen’s finishing class has ensured those draws.
Indeed there were times where both Wellington and City looked good for their points in Victory’s recent matches, and found ways to disrupt Victory’s usual harmony in their forward transitions.
Relying more heavily on discarded Socceroo James Troisi, they have lacked the fluidity that Honda delivers with his passing range and vision.
Gratefully for Victory they will be able to stiffen their defence with talented foreign imports Raul Baena and George Niedermeier available for this match after both had missed several recent outings.
That should make an already improbable Wanderers goal in this game even less likely.
Prediction
The Wanderers need to make a statement in this game and now is the time to do that against a top team missing its playmaker, and who are markedly less brilliantly without him.
Having said that, only a real gambler could predict a Wanderers result in this game. In fact, more likely, this is the game where the Victory plan B (ie the one without Honda) finally kicks into gear.
Western Sydney Wanderers 0 – Melbourne Victory 2
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