Auckland FC v Melbourne Victory Prediction and Betting Tip - Odds, H2H and Preview Predictions

Auckland FC v Melbourne Victory Prediction:

Saturday morning will see the second leg of the Australian A-League playoffs, with Auckland FC hosting Melbourne Victory in the first semi-final of the day. The first leg, played on Saturday, saw Auckland edge out a 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half goal from Rogerson, giving them the upper hand heading into the second leg.

Auckland finished the league phase at the top of the table with 53 points, five points ahead of second-placed Melbourne City, which meant they went straight to the semi-finals. In contrast, Melbourne Victory finished 10 points behind them in fifth and had to defeat Western Sydney in an eliminator to reach this stage.

Where to Watch

This match is being broadcast on TNT 4 with a kick-off time of 07:00 on Saturday 24th May.

Key Stats:

• Auckland have lost just one home game all season
• Melbourne have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 games
• Auckland have kept 13 clean sheets this season - the best defensive record in the league

Auckland FC v Melbourne Victory Previews, Form and Players to Watch:

Auckland FC Preview:

In their first year in the Australian A-League, Auckland have absolutely trumped every team, finishing top of the table five points ahead of every other side in the league. However, they don’t come into this match on the most consistent run of form, having won just four of their last 10 fixtures. That said, they have only suffered one defeat during this period, which came in their final league phase game after their spot in the semi-finals had already been secured.

Predicted Line Up (4-2-2-2): Paulsen; Sakai, Hall, Pijnaker, Vries; Verstraete, Gallegos; Rogerson, Francois; May, Randall

Despite their league dominance, Auckland only rank sixth in the goal-scoring charts with 49 goals and coming into this match, they have scored eight times in their last five fixtures. Their top scorer, Guillermo May, has only netted nine goals for the season, which could help explain their relatively modest goal tally.

Melbourne Victory Preview:

Melbourne managed to just sneak into the playoff spots this season and are still in the tie as we approach the second leg. They finished the season in fifth place with 43 points, before defeating Western Sydney in the eliminator. Coming into this clash, they find themselves on a strong run of form, losing just once in their last six games and scoring an impressive 13 goals in the process.

Predicted Line Up (4-2-3-1): Duncan; Inserra, Hamill, Lachlan, Bos; Teague, Valadon; Arzani, Machach, Velupillay; Vergos

Zinédine Machach has been the man to watch this season for the Victory. The Frencman has been on fire for the visitors managing 12 goals contributions from 26 matches.

Head-to-Head Stats - Auckland FC v Melbourne Victory

Since this is Auckland's first year in the A-League, there have only been three meetings between the two sides, all of which have taken place this season. The results of those encounters suggest that the hosts on Saturday have the upper hand, as they are undefeated, having won twice and drawn once. Melbourne Victory have also failed to score in those matches, while Auckland have picked up two away wins.

• Melbourne 0-1 Auckland, May 2025
• Melbourne 0-2 Auckland, April 2025
• Auckland 0-0 Melbourne, January 2024

Betting Tips for Auckland FC v Melbourne Victory

The recent encounters between these two sides have been cagey affairs, and with the first leg ending only 1-0, it's likely that Saturday's clash could also be a tightly contested one, and so, our team of betting experts recommend that the best tip for this game is Half-time Draw. With the odds currently at 2.21 on HIGHBET, a £10 stake could see a potential return of up to £22.10.

(odds subject to change)

Final Prediction:

With Auckland being at home and already holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, it's hard to see this clash going any other way than a home victory for them. This would secure their place in the final, where they are most likely to face off against Melbourne City.

Auckland FC 1-1 Melbourne Victory