Bitesize Prediction: Melbourne City vs Brisbane Roar – 28/12/23

Competition: A-League

Market: Melbourne City win

Odds: 7/10 @ 1xBet

Hoping to break into the top-six on Thursday morning, Melbourne City will welcome Brisbane to AAMI Park for an A-League showdown.

Starting with the hosts, while Melbourne might have made real history last season as they got their hands on another A-League crown, Aurelio Vidmar’s side have struggled to find a similar level this time around. Watching their AFC Champions League adventure come to an abrupt end earlier in the month, the Australian giants have now had to settle for a single point in all of their previous three appearances across all competitions. Opening up Thursday’s showdown sat outside the top-half and with the feel of a squad seeking a recent boost, Melbourne have also gained a reputation for their rather glaring issues on home soil. Including a pair of 3-3 stalemates against Central Coast and Macarthur, the Sky Blues have remarkably mustered just a single win at AAMI Park since the end of August. Desperate to find a route into the top-six here, Vidmar’s side will have plenty of pressure on their shoulders in midweek.

As for the visitors, while Brisbane might have opened December with a welcomed boost, the Roar have certainly come crashing back down to earth. Last seen getting hit with a routine 3-0 drumming at home against Central Coast, the Queensland-based outfit have lost back-to-back appearances by an aggregate score of 5-1. With just a single win to their name from any of their previous four A-League showdowns, Thursday’s guests should also be concerned by a nightmare record against the defending champions. Hit with a 2-1 loss when they last travelled to AAMI Park back on March 12th, Brisbane have collected just a single point from any of their previous five A-League showdowns. It should also be highlighted, the Roar have lost all of their last eight straight trips to Melbourne – a run that stems all the way back to a 2-2 stalemate in February 2017. While the Sky Blues might have continued on a worrying domestic blip, we are expecting a home victory on Thursday morning.

Bet: Melbourne City 7/10 to beat Brisbane Roar in Thursday’s A-League showdown @ 1xBet