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Horse Racing Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Prediction: Team News and Lineups Preview
Saturday oversees a bumper day of A-League football, with four games squeezed into a packed schedule and Matthew O’Regan is tasked with providing his Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City prediction, team news, standings and lineups preview. Three points separate the two playoff-chasing team, so a barnstorming affair is expected.
If a Podcast or Youtube video is more your thing, why not check out our new bettingexpert Football Podcast here, where Dan Jenkins and Sam Ingram provide their most-fancied selections ahead of the weekend.
Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Prediction, Team News, Standings and Lineups Preview
- Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Tip 1: Bet Builder
- Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Tip 2: Leonardo Natel Shot On Target
- Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Tip 3: Jamie Maclaren to Score
In this article:
- Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Team News and Possible Lineups
- Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Match Stats
- How to watch Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City
- Safer Gambling
Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Tip 1: Goals Galore In Queensland
Australia, A-League , Saturday, February 10th , 07:00 (UK)
The hosts currently sit in 9th place, just three points off Saturday’s visitors. However, despite scoring only four goals, Brisbane’s goal difference (-13) is significantly worse than Melbourne City’s (+2).
This highlights just how fragile the Roar’s defence has been, conceding a league-high 36 goals already. Of their 16 games, they’ve only kept two clean sheets, allowing 20 and 19 shots in these games. Ben Cahn’s side have also failed to score in only two league games – both against Central Coast Mariners.
Brisbane have conceded two or more in 10/16, including their 8-1 drubbing in the reverse fixture. Of the eight matches played at SunCorp stadium, a league-high seven have seen over 2.5 goals – the anomaly being a 1-1 draw with Wellington Phoenix.
They host a Melbourne City side that has seen over 2.5 goals in their last four away games and 5/7 in total. The two which didn’t were a 2-0 win at Newcastle Jets and a 1-0 loss to Phoenix, where Maclaren missed a penalty.
City has scored 2+ in 8/15 and possesses a potent attack. Away from home, Melbourne City boasts the most xG (1.80) in the league. Brisbane Roar have the fifth highest (1.73) at home.
In fact, both teams’ matches rank highly for xG, with Melbourne City games seeing an average of 3.24 per game, compared to Roar’s 3.32.
- Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Tip 1: Over 2.5 Goals and Melbourne City Over 1.5 Goals (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 1.83
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 10/10
Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Tip 2: Nifty Natal
With the abundance of attacking talent amongst his ranks, Aurelio Vidmar prefers attacking football.
One player who has impressed is Leo Natel, with the 26-year-old arriving on loan from Corinthians in the summer.
In 10 starts, Natal has 24 shots and nine on target to his name. This accounts for 2.43 shots and 0.91 on target per 90.
By purely looking at Brisbane Roar’s goals conceded numbers, it is evident to see that they have a really fragile defence. On top of this, they are conceding an average of 14.31 shots per game.
In the reverse fixture, Melbourne ran out easy 8-1 winners, recording 24 shots. Of these 24 shots, Natel had six, three of which were on target and two being goals.
For Natel to record just one shot on target is priced nicely at 1.83 in a game that I expect to be open and frantic.
- Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Tip 2: Leo Natel shot on target (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 1.83
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 10/10
Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Tip 3: Marksman Maclaren
The hat-trick hero in the last outing was Melbourne’s leading talisman Jamie Maclaren. The 30-year-old is in the sixth season of his very successful career at Melbourne.
Starting his professional career at Perth Glory, a young Maclaren scored 11 goals in 40 appearances. A move to Brisbane Roar followed, with the Aussie scoring 59 in 43 appearances.
This attracted the attention of German side Sv Darmstadt, who swooped to sign the prolific striker. The move didn’t work out, and Maclaren was back in Australia a year or so after a season in Scotland at Hibernian.
Since signing for Melbourne City, Maclaren hasn’t looked back. He scored five in nine appearances in his first season, following this up by scoring 29 in 30 and then 25 in 24 appearances in the 2020/2021 season. The 2021/2022 season witnessed 16 in 27 before the striker scored 26 in 37 last season.
For Maclaren’s extremely high standards, this campaign has been a relatively low-scoring one, with the 30-year-old only scoring 11 goals in 24. His willingness to shoot is a major reason for his goal record, averaging 3.13 shots per 90, with 1.36 of these landing on target.
Maclaren is averaging 0.71 xG per game and is facing the league’s leakiest defence.
- Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Tip 3: Jamie Maclaren to score (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 1.83
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 10/10
Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Predictions odds via bet365 as at 09:00, February 6th, 2024. Odds may now differ.
Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City Team News and Possible Lineups: Melbourne boosted by returns
Talented centre-half Scott Neville is still out with an injury for the hosts, while creative maestro and Melbourne City legend Florin Berenguer is still absent and will miss his reunion with a club where he made over 100 appearances.
Left midfielder Henry Hore and right back Jack Hingert were substituted in the first half with injuries in the 1-1 draw with Wellington Phoenix, and it is unsure whether they’re fit to play on Saturday.
For City, commanding centre-back Samuel Souprayen and dependable right-back Callum Talbot are likely to be out with injuries, and the creative hub Tolgay Arslan is suspended after picking up a red in the last match.
However, the final ten minutes of the 4-2 defeat to Perth Glory saw the return of Aussie legend Matthew Leckie- a significant boost for the visitors, who is likely to slot in in Arslan’s absence.
Brisbane Roar possible starting lineup:
Freke; Brown, Nikolovski, Trewin, Burke Gilroy; Mileusnic, Caletti, O’Shea, Majok; Waddingham, Jelacic
Melbourne City possible starting lineup:
Young; Galloway, Reis, Good, Politidis; Ugarkovic, Antonis; Natel, Leckie, Nabboout; Maclaren
Match Stats: A fixture dominated by Melbourne
- Brisbane Roar have failed to win their last six vs Melbourne City.
- Maclaren has scored 8 in his last 13 vs Brisbane.
- Brisbane have the leakiest defence in the league (36 conceded).
- Melbourne’s 8-1 victory in the reverse is the biggest win in A-League history.
- With a GD of -13, Roar have the second worst GD in the league .
How To Watch
- Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City , A League.
- Date and Time: Saturday 10th February 07:00 (UK)
- How to Watch or Stream on TV (UK): TNT SPORTS
SAFER GAMBLING
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