A-League Betting: Melbourne City can keep a clean sheet in beating Wellington Phoenix

Recommended bet: Melbourne City to ‘Win to Nil’ @ 59/20 (2.95) with Unibet

Melbourne City host bottom of the table Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park on Saturday, with City looking to try and close the growing gap between themselves and the top two, whilst Phoenix look to move within striking distance of ninth placed Central Coast Mariners.

After a strong start to the season, City’s form has dropped off alarmingly with just two wins in their last nine and three straight defeats going into this game, the latest being a 2-1 loss at Western Sydney Wanderers on New Year’s Day after going a goal up through Ross McCormack.

Phoenix have registered just one win all season, although they did pick up just their second point from a possible 18 on the road this term with a goalless draw at Central Coast Mariners on New Year’s Eve.

The teams have already met once at AAMI Park in the league this season, with a solitary McCormack goal proving sufficient for a City victory.  The on-loan Scot has scored eight of City’s 15 goals this season and their reliance on him for goals has to be a major concern.

Last term City also came out on top on all three occasions the teams met, winning 1-0 and 5-1 at the Westpac Stadium and 2-1 at AAMI Park, so they really could ask for no better opponents to get this season’s campaign back on track.

City might not be in the best of form, but they are clearly the better team and with home advantage to boot, it’s difficult to envisage anything other than three points for Warren Joyce’s men.  Anything less and Joyce’s position at AAMI Park will surely be in serious jeopardy (if it isn’t already).

Although City have struggled somewhat for goals this season (Joyce is a very conservative coach from an attacking perspective), they have been reasonably solid defensively on home turf.  

Taking into account that Phoenix have scored just twice in six away games to date (their first away game of the campaign in going down 3-2 at Sydney FC), a City victory ‘to Nil’ looks to be a decent bet here at 59/20 (2.95) with Unibet.