Macarthur FC vs. Melbourne Victory – A-League, May 14, 2021

Macarthur and Melbourne Victory meet for the second time in eight days on Friday, May 14, following a 2-1 win for the Bulls in the reverse fixture.

Ante Milicic’s men have enhanced their top-six chances by stringing together a four-match unbeaten streak over the past few weeks (one win, three draws).

On the flip side, Victory remains second from bottom on the A-League ladder, having failed to win any of their previous four outings (one draw, three defeats).

After looking at the odds for Friday’s clash and taking a closer look at the teams, I will share my Macarthur FC vs. Melbourne Victory prediction and betting pick.

Unsurprisingly, 10bet views Macarthur as the out-and-out favorite to win this one. The Bulls beat Victory just last week and have only lost two of their last nine matches.

Heading into Friday’s game on the back of two straight losses, it is no real shock to see Victory as the clear outsider here.

The big odds for the draw and the away win may seem tempting, but let’s not forget that Macarthur leads Victory by 17 points on the A-League ladder.

Alarm bells were ringing when Macarthur went behind to Victory last week. However, goals from Markel Susaeta and James Meredith saw the Bulls turn things around and claim all three points.

Given that Milicic’s men enjoyed 60% possession at AAMI Park, it’s fair to say that they deserved to beat Victory.

Despite sealing three straight draws prior to their previous match, the Bulls would have been eager to snap a five-game winless run last time out. Thankfully, that’s exactly what they did.

With a record of W9-D5-L7, Macarthur has enjoyed an impressive maiden A-League campaign. But having gotten themselves into a promising position, they will surely be disappointed if they miss out on a Finals Series berth.

If Matt Derbyshire can rediscover his scoring boots, the newcomers will stand an excellent chance of securing a top-six finish.

The Boys in Blue racked up 21 shots against Macarthur in the previous meeting, but they only managed to score one goal. Essentially, last week’s performance sums up Victory’s season perfectly.

The fallen giant has scored just 23 goals in 21 games this term, with five of those goals coming in a freak 5-4 win over Western Sydney.

Victory fans would have been hoping that last month’s thrashing of the Wanderers could spark a revival for their side. But since then, Steve Kean’s men have only been able to take one point from a possible 12.

Looking at the bigger picture, the Boys in Blue have registered just four wins throughout a dismal 2020/21 for the club. With only three draws to their name, they have even lost more games (14) than last-place Newcastle (13).

Macarthur claimed a relatively straightforward win over Victory last week, and I expect a similar result this time around.

Following Grant Brebner’s sacking, the Boys in Blues have improved slightly. But with nothing left to play for this season, they are likely to find life difficult against the Bulls again.

Conversely, Milicic’s men have it all to play for. They stand a genuine chance of cementing a top-six finish in their debut A-League season, so I can’t see them slipping up when Victory comes to town.