AllFootball  

4 hrs

Melbourne Victory faces Wellington Phoenix in the A-League, aiming for a crucial home victory after recent setbacks.

Melbourne Victory will host Wellington Phoenix at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in an exciting A-League matchup on Friday. Currently, Melbourne Victory sits in sixth place with seven wins from 16 league games, accumulating 25 points. In contrast, Wellington Phoenix is in 10th place with five wins and 19 points.

The hosts recently experienced a setback, ending their two-game winning streak with a disappointing 3-0 loss to Newcastle Jets, marking the third time in five matches they conceded at least three goals. On the other hand, Wellington Phoenix is on a four-match unbeaten run, with three draws, including a recent 1-1 tie against Brisbane Roar, where Isaac Hughes scored his first goal of the season.

Historically, Melbourne Victory has dominated their encounters with Wellington Phoenix, remaining unbeaten in their last 12 home meetings. In total, the two teams have faced each other 55 times, with Melbourne Victory claiming 27 victories compared to Wellington Phoenix`s 14 wins, and 14 matches ending in draws. Notably, five of their last six encounters have produced fewer than 2.5 goals, with Wellington Phoenix managing to keep three clean sheets.

With Wellington Phoenix struggling offensively, holding the second-worst goalscoring record in the league with just 16 goals, Melbourne Victory is favored to secure a narrow victory, with predictions suggesting a 2-1 scoreline.

#MelbourneVictory,#WellingtonPhoenix,#ALeague,#SoccerMatch,#FootballNews