Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City Prediction: Machach to exercise Melbourne derby demons

The shock departure of Melbourne Victory head coach Patrick Kisnorbo, days before a derby against his former employers Melbourne City, has thrown the side into turmoil ahead of Saturday's clash at AAMI Park (08:35, TNT Sports 1). The former Socceroo is reportedly set to join Yokohama F. Marinos as new manager Steve Holland's assistant, despite only taking charge at Victory in June and leading them to third in the Australia A-League Men's after eight rounds of fixtures.

Assistant Arthur Diles has stepped up to the role of interim head coach while the search for Kisborbo's successor commences, but it's a real baptism of fire for the 42-year-old. Ahead of this weekend's Melbourne derby, I have delivered my Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City prediction, which you can check out below.

Team News

Melbourne Victory can welcome back Australia international Nishan Velupillay from injury following a three-game absence. The 23-year-old may have to settle for a place on the bench, however, given he has spent over a month out and the fact his club have won their last two matches against Perth Glory (2-0) and Western United (1-3).

Joshua Inserra is also named in the extended squad but everything is as it was - except for the departure of Kisnorbo.

Football Odds

Melbourne City are still without a host of first-team stars including Mathew Leckie, Marco Tilio, Andrew Nabbout and Max Caputo, but Harry Shillington and Lawrence Wong have both been promoted to the extended squad.

Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City Odds

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

Melbourne Victory won October's Melbourne derby 3-1 and are unbeaten in their last five head-to-heads with Melbourne City. Victory are 9/10 favourites to make it back-to-back triumphs against their local rivals, giving them an implied win probability of 52.6%, while City are 5/2, or a 28.6% chance, to beat their neighbours for the first time since April 2023.

The draw is priced at 12/5, both teams to score at 4/7, and over 2.5 total goals at 4/6.

Victory forwards pair Bruno Fornaroli (23/20) and Nikos Vergos (7/5), who scored in this fixture earlier in the season, are favourites in the anytime goalscorer market, where Yonatan Cohen (2/1), is first up for City.

Double Chance & Both Teams to Score - Melbourne Victory or Draw & Yes @ 21/20

The sudden departure of Kisnorbo is sure to shake Victory, but I think they possess enough quality and experience to at least avoid defeat on Saturday.

They've had the upper hand in this fixture over the past 20 months, winning one of the three regular season contests - the other two were draws - before triumphing on penalties in the play-offs in May. Then, in the first Melbourne derby this term, they put three past City inside the first 25 minutes, wrapping up the three points nice and early.

Victory have won five of their first seven games in 2024/25 and their only defeat came in New Zealand on November 24 as they were edged out 1-0 by last season's Premiership runners-up Wellington Phoenix.

They've won all four games at AAMI Park, including that Melbourne derby success over City, while their opponents are yet to win any of their three matches at the shared venue this season.

Both teams to score has only landed in 43 per cent (three) of Victory's and City's seven ALM games this season but, of course, one of those occasions was October's derby, and both teams were on target in the final two matches last term, meaning it has landed in three consecutive derbies.

Victory to avoid defeat and both teams to score looks like a sensible selection at 21/20, to me.

Anytime Goalscorer - Zinedine Machach (MVC) @ 2/1

French playmaker Zinedine Machach lit up the ALM in his debut campaign in 2023/24, scoring seven times and registering five assists in 27 appearances to inspire his side to a third-place finish and the play-offs, although it ended disastrously for him as he was sent off in the first half of the Melbourne derby quarter-final and missed both semi-finals due to suspension before returning for the losing final to Central Coast Mariners.

He began the current campaign by firing blanks in his first five matches but has scored in back-to-back games this month, opening the scoring - and assisting the second - in a 3-1 win over Western United before netting the first goal again in a 2-0 triumph over Perth Glory.

The 28-year-old is in great goalscoring form and considering what happened in the quarter-finals earlier this year, and the fact he had a goal disallowed in the first Melbourne derby of this season, I think he'll be extra motivated to get on the scoresheet on Saturday, so I'm taking him on to find the net anytime at 2/1.

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