Sydney FC vs Melbourne Victory Prediction

After rescuing a dramatic late draw against Adelaide United last time out, Sydney will be looking to return to winning ways when they host Melbourne Victory on Saturday.

A Douglas Costa double and a 90+5 equaliser courtesy of left back Jordan Courtney-Perkins saw them steal a point a the dying seconds of the game, and such a late goal will be a huge boost of confidence to the time, especially considering the point came against the second placed team in the A-League.

Melbourne Victory lie one place below in third, after drawing with local rivals Melbourne City last time out. It was a missed opportunity for Patrick Kisnorbo’s side, who could’ve moved top with a win after both Adelaide and A-League newbies Auckland slipped up.

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

Key Statistics

• Douglas Costa’s brace against Adelaide saw him bag his first two goals for Sydney FC since signing in the summer.
• Sydney have the worst defence outside of the bottom two sides, conceding 17 goals in 8 games.
• Contrastingly, Melbourne Victory have the sturdiest defence in the league, conceding just five goals so far.
• Midfielder Zinedine Machach has scored for Melbourne Victory in their last three meetings with Sydney.

Sydney FC Preview

Sydney Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Harrison Devenish-Meares (GK); Jordan Courtney-Perkins, Aaron Gurd, Alexandar Popovic, Rhyan Grant; Anthony Caceres, Leo Sena; Douglas Costa, Anas Ouahim, Joe Lolley; Patrick Wood.

Sydney’s draw with Adelaide United had everything; superb goals, goalmouth scrambles, missed sitters, and to top it off, first goals in Sydney colours for marquee signing Douglas Costa. It was a tremendous game, and a terrific advert for A-League soccer if you have a chance to watch the match highlights.

It was a result that Sydney will be more proud of than Adelaide, as they won their hard-earned point with 15 seconds of added time left, and they will likely carry some momentum into this game against Melbourne.

Their goal scoring is as solid as their defence is vulnerable, a recipe which has made Sydney one of the most exciting teams to watch this season, and you can be sure they are certain to entertain once again this weekend. Despite facing the best defence in the league, I would be surprised if the home team didn’t break through at some point

Melbourne Victory Preview

Melbourne Victory Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Jack Duncan (GK); Kasey Bos, Roderick Miranda, Brendan Hamill, Jason Geria; Jordi Valadon, Ryan Teague; Reno Piscopo, Zinedine Machach, Daniel Arzani; Nikolaos Vergos.

Third in the league and ticking along nicely, Kisnorbo and his squad will be happy with how their season has progressed so far.

However, they are yet to play either Adelaide or Auckland, both of whom sit above them, and so will want to maximise the points they pick up prior to those fixtures, starting here against Sydney.

They haven’t exactly been prolific in front of goal; their top scorer, Nikolaos Vergos, has two league goals this season, and he has two other players alongside him on that total. However, there are good signs heading into this weekend's game.

Melbourne are undefeated in their last three games against Sydney, and Machach’s individual record of bagging a goal in all of these speaks for itself. The signs are certainly pointing in the right direction for the visitors.

Sydney FC vs Melbourne Victory Head to Head

Last five meetings:

• 26/01/2024: Melbourne 1-1 Sydney.
• 16/12/2023: Melbourne 3-0 Sydney.
• 21/10/2023: Sydney 0-2 Melbourne.
• 04/03/2023: Sydney 1-0 Melbourne.
• 26/01/2023: Melbourne 1-2 Sydney.

Sydney FC vs Melbourne Victory Betting Tip

Given Sydney’s good finishing and poor defensive record, it looks increasingly likely that they will both score and concede here. Melbourne may have on paper the best backline in the league, but if anyone can breach it, Douglas Costa can.

That is why we are backing both teams to score here in what should be an enthralling game.

Sydney FC vs Melbourne Victory Final Prediction

**Sydney FC 2-2 Melbourne Victory ** A draw will not help either side, but when two contrasting football teams clash with each other, it is almost impossible to call the right outcome.

We are predicting a draw come the full time whistle, but the game is equally likely to swing either side of such a result.