Melbourne City vs. Macarthur FC – A-League, March 12, 2021

Melbourne City will be aiming to leapfrog Macarthur FC on the A-League ladder when the two sides meet at AAMI Park on Friday, March 12.

Three straight victories have sent Patrick Kisnorbo’s team flying up the standings, while a run of two defeats in three games means the Bulls now sit just two points ahead of City.

If you’re planning to wager on Friday’s A-League clash, make sure you check out my Melbourne City vs. Macarthur FC prediction and betting pick below.

Following record-breaking 6-0 win in last weekend’s Melbourne Derby, Melbourne City (1.80) is the bookmakers’ favorite to secure all three points on Friday.

As you can see, the leading online sportsbooks aren’t giving Macarthur (4.00) much of a chance here. But let’s not forget that the Bulls currently sit second on the A-League ladder.

Having suffered three consecutive defeats across January and February, Melbourne City needed to turn thing around pretty quickly. Thankfully for Kisnorbo’s men, that’s exactly what they’ve done.

City’s three-game winning streak began with a 3-2 victory over Sydney FC, before the Melbourne outfit beat the Wanderers 2-0 at Bankwest Stadium. But last weekend’s Melbourne Derby rout was the icing on the cake.

After missing an early penalty, Jamie Maclaren netted his eighth goal in seven games to give City a 1-0 lead at half-time. Following the break, five second-half goals saw Kisnorbo’s side demolish Melbourne Victory and claim an emphatic 6-0 win.

City finished the game having notched up 22 shots (11 on target), while Victory failed to register a single attempt on Tom Glover’s goal.

The manner with which City demolished Victory was hugely impressive. Kisnorbo’s men now boast the second-best goal difference in the A-League (+5) – and this down to the team’s quality at both ends of the pitch.

3️⃣ wins in a row and 3️⃣ home matches at @AAMIPark to come next! ?

Up first is Macarthur FC for this first time ever! Be there on Friday night as the boys look to continue their great form and climb up the table. ?#CmonCity | ? https://t.co/LFzBIAuk8x… pic.twitter.com/vDV5nXW6R4

— Melbourne City FC (@MelbourneCity) March 9, 2021

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that Macarthur has been one of the most inconsistent teams in the A-League this term. Still, the newcomers find themselves sitting second in the standings.

A hefty 4-0 win over Adelaide United was followed by a heavy 4-1 loss to Western United last month, yet the Bulls managed to bounce back and record an unlikely 1-0 victory against Sydney FC in their next match.

However, Ante Milicic’s men recently became the latest team to suffer at the hands of the Mariners, losing 2-0 at Central Coast Stadium – despite enjoying almost 70% possession!

Having bagged seven goals in his last eight outings, including a hat-trick against Adelaide, Matt Derbyshire is challenging City’s Maclaren in the early Golden Boot charts. But can the veteran Englishman maintain his current goalscoring form throughout the campaign?

One thing’s for sure – if the Bulls continues to dominate their opponents, Derbyshire will keep getting chances to add to his tally.

Following a slow start to the season, Kisnorbo’s men are finally beginning to produce the kind of form that saw them make it all the way to last year’s Grand Final. Not only is Maclaren banging in the goals again, but the team has also kept back-to-back clean sheets.

Macarthur will almost certainly give the home side a run for their money, but I just can’t see the Bulls ending City’s winning streak right now. All the signs are pointing towards another Melbourne City win on Friday.