Melbourne Victory vs Wellington Phoenix Prediction

Friday’s A-league action will see an inconsistent Melbourne Victory play host to a goal-shy Wellington Phoenix, with their total being the second lowest in the division.

After a quick start to the season which saw them briefly sit atop the league in November, Melbourne Victory’s form has waned, and they have managed to eke out just two wins in their last nine games, a patch of form that no title contender can afford to go through.

Meanwhile, Wellington Phoenix are becoming increasingly nervous when in and around the opposition penalty area, simply through the fact they don't trust any of their number to finish a chance. Scoring four times in their last six games, their output has to improve if they are to beat even a struggling Melbourne Victory.

As the game approaches, here is everything you need to know about both sides ahead of kick-off.

Key Statistics

• While they may sit sixth in the table, Melbourne Victory can flex the third best home record this season, an ominous statistic for the travelling Phoenix’s.
• They have also been awarded the most penalties of any side this season with 3, so Wellington will need to watch their step in their own 18 yard box.
• In the recent run, Wellington have picked up one win in six games, despite playing fifth, ninth and 13th place in their last three games.
• However, their defensive record is impressive, ranking as the third best in the league with just 18 goals included.

Melbourne Victory Preview

Melbourne Victory Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mitchell Langerak (GK); Adama Traore, Brendan Hamill, Roderick Miranda, Joshua Rawlins; Ryan Teague, Jordi Valadon; Clarismario Rodrigus, Zinedane Machach, Nishan Velupillay; Nikolaos Vergos.

After two wins at the start of December, Melbourne Victory lay second in the league, and were within three points of first. Since then, their title charge has crumbled around them, as the festive period turned into the nightmare before Christmas.

They didn’t win another game in December, and that run continued four games into the new year until finally, they got rid of their Christmas hangover to beat fellow title hopefuls Sydney FC.

Another win against Perth Glory followed, but any hope of a resurgence was roundly ended by Newcastle Jets, who totally dominated in a 3-0 win last time out. Melbourne Victory are clearly low on confidence, and although Wellington Phoenix is a very winnable fixture for them, it is far from guaranteed they will get a result here.

Wellington Phoenix Preview

Wellington Phoenix Predicted Lineup (5-4-1): Alby Kelly-Heald (GK); Lukas Kelly-Heald, Scott Wootton, Isaac Robert Hughes, Matthew Sheridan, Corban Piper; Sam Sutton, Kazuki Nagasawa, Paulo Retre, Hideki Ishige; Kosta Barbarouses.

While their record of one win in their last six games sounds less than impressive, things aren’t quite as bad as they appear for the Phoenix’s. They are unbeaten in their last four, featuring one win and three draws, including picking up a point against fourth placed Sydney FC.

However, they would have wanted to gain more points from these games, with the 1-1 draw to bottom of the table Brisbane Roar being particularly disappointing for the fan base. With games against two of the top three following their game with Melbourne Victory, they will want to start picking up results where they are expected to.

Though they haven’t lived up to expectations, they are meeting Melbourne Victory at the perfect time. Low on confidence and with no real rhythm to their form, this game could really go either way.

Melbourne Victory vs Wellington Phoenix Head to Head

Recent Meetings:

• 24/11/2024: Wellington 1-0 Victory.
• 18/05/2024: Wellington 1-2 Victory.
• 12/05/2024: Victory 0-0 Wellington.
• 12/04/2024: Wellington 1-0 Victory.
• 19/01/2024: Wellington 1-1 Victory.

Melbourne Victory vs Wellington Phoenix Betting Tip

While Melbourne have been in good scoring form this season, Wellington Phoenix are yet to find their scoring boots. However, their recent unbeaten run will have given them some confidence, and there is more than a good chance they come out of the blocks quick here.

That is why we are betting on both teams to score here. It may seem unlikely, but if Wellington are ever going to score, it’s in a game like this.

Melbourne Victory vs Wellington Phoenix Final Prediction

Melbourne Victory 1-1 Wellington Phoenix

While we think Phoenix will score, that doesn’t mean we think they’ll score more than one. However, with their excellent defensive record, they should also restrict Victory to just one goal to extend their unbeaten streak.