Melbourne City vs Auckland Prediction: A return to ‘normality’ for the Black Knights

Auckland FC's sensational start to life in the Australia A-League Men's continued last weekend with their second New Zealand 'derby' success of the season against Wellington Phoenix, whom they beat 2-1 at Go Media Stadium. The Black Knights did concede for the first time in the competition but are now six from six and Steve Corica's side will look to maintain their 100 per cent record at AAMI Park on Sunday (06:00, TNT Sports 1) when they face three-time Premiership winners Melbourne City.

Below is my Melbourne City vs Auckland prediction, complete with all the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Ben Dunbar returns to Melbourne City's extended group and is joined by 17-year-old Mikey Ghossaini, who is named in a senior squad for the first time.

Mathew Leckie, Andrew Nabbout, Max Caputo, Alessandro Lopane, Marco Tilio and Jayden Necovski remain in the treatment room, however.

Football Odds

Once again, Corica has a full squad to choose from at Auckland, despite Louis Verstraete being withdrawn midway through the first half of last Saturday's victory over the Nix. As such, the former Sydney FC boss could name an unchanged starting XI on Sunday, with Neyder Moreno, Cameron Howieson and Luis Toomey likely to be utilised from the bench again.

Melbourne City vs Auckland Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Melbourne City vs Auckland page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Melbourne City beat Brisbane Roar 4-1 at Suncorp Stadium last Friday and are 6/5, or a 45.5% chance, to become the first team to down Auckland since their placement in the ALM. They would also become the first side to take points off the Black Knights by holding them to a draw, which is priced at 23/10, while the visitors are 15/8 to chalk up a seventh straight success.

Both teams to score is available at 8/13 and over 2.5 total goals at 8/11, while City striker Yonatan Cohen, who bagged a brace against Brisbane last time out, is 15/8 favourite in the anytime goalscorer market, and 11/2 to strike first.

Total Goals - Under 2.5 @ 1/1

This selection landed in Auckland's first five games this season and came close to winning again last weekend, only for Wellington's Kosta Barbarouses to pop up in the 82nd minute to add some jeopardy to the latter stages of the contest. The reason under 2.5 total goals has been a winner in 83 per cent of Auckland's matches this term is that their defence has been rock solid, with the Black Knights keeping five consecutive clean sheets before Barbarouses ended that run.

Melbourne City, meanwhile, have seen 50 per cent (three) of their six ALM games this season end with two or fewer goals, including their last one at AAMI Park, a 2-0 defeat to Western Sydney Wanderers on November 30. They've racked up a couple of big wins over the past month, thrashing Perth Glory 5-0 at HBF Park on November 10 and beating the Roar 4-1 in Brisbane last weekend, but those two teams have a combined points total of three heading into round eight - 15 fewer than Auckland have alone, so it's fair to suggest the Black Knights will prove tougher opponents than the aforementioned two clubs.

To Win to Nil - Auckland @ 9/2

All good things must come to an end, and that much was true last Saturday as Wellington finally breached an Auckland defence that had held firm for over 550 minutes. Perhaps that was the first domino to fall and the rest will come crashing down now, but I'm still viewing things positively and suggesting that holding out for over 80 minutes against last season's runners-up points to a side that will continue to keep clean sheets for fun this term, and certainly this side of Christmas.

Heading into the weekend, only Adelaide United (17), Macarthur (14) and Western Sydney Wanderers (13) had scored more ALM goals this season than Melbourne City, but it's important to note that nine of those strikes came in games against the current bottom two, Perth Glory and Brisbane Roar, and Aurelio Vidmar's side haven't scored more than once in any of their other four matches. They've also failed to score on one occasion this season and that was in their last home game against the Wanderers who beat them 2-0 at AAMI Park.

At 9/2, I think we're getting great value on backing something that has landed in 83.3 per cent of Auckland contests this season.

Offers

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