The first opportunity for silverware this season comes tonight at AAMI Park, as Melbourne Victory host Perth Glory in the final of the FFA Cup.
The Victory have experienced a rough start to their A-league campaign, but the story in the FFA Cup has been far different, dominant in most games, aside from their Round of 16 clash at Rockdale, where the NPL NSW side pushed them to the limit, before sweeping aside Adelaide and Hume City in the Quarter-Final and Semi-Final respectively.
The path for Perth has been a tumultuous one, including two shootout wins, in the Round of 32 against Newcastle Jets, and Quarter Final against Western Sydney, and a gutsy Round of 16 win against the impressive NPLQLD side Lions FC, playing the vast majority of the game with 10 men. They secured their passage to the final with a dominant display against Melbourne City.
Both sides will be hoping to display their cup form more than their A-league form, with neither side really hitting their straps yet, although Victory’s 3-0 win over Wellington on Monday will give them a confidence boost.
Road to the Final:
Melbourne Victory
R32: Balmain Tigers 0 Melbourne Victory 6 (Berisha, Pain, Barbarouses, Georgievski, Howard, Ben Khalfallah)
R16: Rockdale City Suns 2 (Jesic, Broxham OG) Melbourne Victory 3 (Makarounas x 2, Berisha)
QF: Melbourne Victory 3 (Finkler, Barbarouses, Berisha) Adelaide United 1 (Carrusca)
SF: Melbourne Victory 3 (Berisha, Barbarouses, Geria) Hume City 0
Goal Scorers
4 – Besart Berisha
3 – Kosta Barbarouses
2 – Makarounas
1 – Pain, Georgievski, Howard, Ben Khalfallah, Finkler, Geria
Perth Glory
R32: Newcastle Jets 2 (Carney, Haliti) Perth Glory 2 (Sidnei, Marinkovic) [AET, Glory won 3-4 on pens]
R16: Queensland Lions FC 0 Perth Glory 1 (Harold)
QF: Perth Glory 1 (Marinkovic) Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Dimas) [AET, Glory won 4-2 on pens]
SF: Perth Glory 3 (Sandor, Garruccio OG, Harold) Melbourne City 1 (Millar)
Goal Scorers
2 – Marinkovic, Harold
1 – Sidnei, Sandor
Key Matchups:
Besart Berisha vs. Michael Thwaite:
It’s no secret that Berisha is one of Victory’s key attacking weapons, and that shutting him down can go a long way to shutting his team down. Perth’s defensive stalwart and captain – and of course former Victory player – Thwaite will be tasked with this responsibility. This battle will be a physical one, and Berisha will look constantly to get in behind the defence, so Thwaite will have to make sure he keeps at least one eye on the number eight at all times.
Carl Valeri vs. Nebojsa Marinkovic:
The new skipper for Melbourne will look to shut down Perth’s Serbian maestro, and if he succeeds, it’s hard to see the Glory winning. A free-kick specialist, who can also play a good pass, Marinkovic will be looking to get the ball in the final third as much as possible, and to draw fouls using his quick feet. Valeri will be the man tasked with this job, but will have to make sure not to get drawn in.
Predicted Line-up:
Bench: Lawrence Thomas (GK), Giancarlo Gallifuoco , Connor Pain, George Howard, Rashid Mahazi
Prediction:
Perth will prove resilient opponents, but at home, Melbourne should be too strong. The Victory to take the first piece of silverware on offer for the season. 3-1 Melbourne