The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Central Coast Mariners last Saturday, while Brisbane Roar played out a 1-1 draw against Western United, a day earlier.
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The opening A-League fixture of 2023 will see Melbourne Victory hosting Brisbane Roar at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Thursday. The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Central Coast Mariners last Saturday, while Brisbane Roar played out a 1-1 draw against Western United, a day earlier. The two clubs haven’t had a great campaign thus far, as the visitors are occupying seventh position in the standings, having collected 12 points from nine games, while Melbourne Victory are languishing at the 11th position, with just ten points to their name.Â
#WaybackWednesday | An oldie but a goodie!
Who remembers this classic match against Melbourne Victory? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️
We go again on Friday night at AAMI Park. pic.twitter.com/naxCn5LeNe
— Brisbane Roar FC (@brisbaneroar) January 4, 2023
Melbourne Victory are going through a bit of a torrid time, having lost both of their last two league games since the Melbourne derby was abandoned due to riots from the supporters. Boys in Blue lost out to Central Coast Mariners in their last outing on Saturday, despite the fact that Cadete got on the scoresheet. However, with the league being so tight in the early stages, Victory are still only three points adrift of the playoffs. Brisbane, on the other hand, shared the spoils against Western United despite taking the lead through Carlo Armiento in the 28th minute. The result has helped the Lions extend their unbeaten run to seven games. They remain the only team in the A-League to still be in single figures for both goals scored and conceded.
Australian defender Matthew Spiranovic made a long-awaited comeback for Victory in the last match, returning after a seven-year layoff. The 34-year-old is expected to join Geria and Broxham in the three-man defence. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Paul Izzo is out with a thumb injury and therefore, Matt Acton will occupy the goal. Former Manchester United man Nani will spearhead the attack, alongside Folami. As for Brisbane, Charley Austin has left the club to join his Swindon Town, in his native England. Therefore, Aussie footballer Nikola Mileusnic could lead the line, with Armiento and Knowles in support.
Melbourne Victory possible line-up: Acton, Geria, Spiranovic, Broxham, Ikonomidis, Wilson, Rai, Brimmer, Cadete, Nani, Folami
Brisbane Roar possible line-up: Holmes, Hingert, Neville, Aldred, Courtney-Perkins, O’Shea, Trewin, Chapman, Knowles, Mileusnic, Armiento
Melbourne Victory
| Opponents | Score |
| Central Coast Mariners | 2-1 (L) |
| Western United | 1-0 (L) |
| Macarthur FC | 0-1 (W) |
| Adelaide United | 3-0 (L) |
| Newcastle Jets | 4-0 (W) |
Brisbane Roar
| Opponents | Score |
| Western United | 1-1 (D) |
| WS Wanderers | 1-1 (D) |
| Newcastle Jets | 0-1 (W) |
| Adelaide United | 1-1 (D) |
| Sydney FC | 3-1 (W) |
| Last 5 match-results | Score |
| Brisbane Roar draw Melbourne Victory | 0-0 |
| Brisbane Roar draw Melbourne Victory | 1-1 |
| Brisbane Roar draw Melbourne Victory | 1-1 |
| Brisbane Roar draw Melbourne Victory | 0-0 |
| Melbourne Victory beat Brisbane Roar | 3-0 |
The A-League match between Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar will take place at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Thursday at 2:15 pm IST.
| Melbourne Victory vs Brisbane Roar | Key Details |
| Date | January 6 |
| Venue | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium |
| Kickoff time in Australia | 7:45 pm |
| Kickoff time in India | 2:15 pm |
Football fans in Australia can catch the live action via Paramount+.Â
