Melbourne City vs Adelaide United 11/08/20

11 August 2020

Adelaide United travel to the ANZ Stadium to take on Melbourne City, hoping to extend an unbeaten away run in A-League to three (W1, D1).

Just one of Melbourne’s last nine A-League fixtures has ended in a draw (W5, L3), with five of those eight results (wins/losses) producing a single-goal margin. But, Erick Mombaerts’ players boast an almost perfect home record in 2020 (W5, D2), having kept a clean sheet in four of seven home league matches since the turn of the year. Indeed, a rock-solid defense is accountable to Melbourne’s impressive home form since the calendar flipped, having conceded fewer goals at home than any other side in Australia’s top-flight (4). Notably, City have won all seven of their A-League home games in which they scored the opening goal this term.

Meanwhile, undefeated in four A-League matches (W2, D2), the visitors are seeking their first top-flight away win against Melbourne City since 2016 (D2, L4). The ‘Reds’ scored under 1.5 goals in each of their previous six league trips to Melbourne, which has been true in six of their eight A-League away games this calendar year (W2, D1, L5). A lack of ruthlessness away from home has seen Adelaide manage only 42.86% (18) of their 42 A-League goals score on the road. Particularly ponderous in the attacking third past halftime, Carl Veart’s men have netted just seven second-half goals away, which makes them one of five sides yet to reach double digits in the second 45 minutes.