Melbourne City vs. Macarthur FC – A-League, June 20, 2021

Melbourne City will be hoping to shake off their iffy end-of-season form when Macarthur visits AAMI Park this Sunday, June 20, for the second semi-final of the 2021 A-League Finals Series.

Following a largely dominant campaign, the premiers only managed to win one of their final five regular-season games and suffered a shock loss to struggling Newcastle last time out.

Meanwhile, the Bulls lost just two of their final nine regular-season matches before beating the Mariners 2-0 in the Elimination Finals.

I this betting preview, I discuss the A-League odds before sharing my prediction and pick for Melbourne City vs. Macarthur FC.

All the top-rated online sportsbooks expect Melbourne City (1.44) to get the job done on Sunday. While it is difficult to argue with that viewpoint, you shouldn’t write off Macarthur (6.00) altogether.

Yes, Patrick Kisnorbo’s men clinched the Premiers’ Plate earlier in the season. But they have struggled for consistency of late, while the Bulls have picked up a number of positive results in recent games.

Before we get to my Melbourne City vs. Macarthur prediction, let’s take a closer look at the teams.

Melbourne City clinched their first-ever A-League premiership in style a few weeks ago. But since then, Kisnorbo’s men have failed to replicate the kind of performances that saw them secure the title.

However, a series of below-par results have darkened the mood at AAMI Park.

The premiers have managed to win just one of their previous five matches, recording two draws and two losses in the process. After losing 3-0 to Brisbane, City drew with Victory before suffering a shock 2-1 defeat to the Jets.

There is no denying that City is missing Jamie Maclaren at the moment. I mean, the lethal striker netted 25 goals in 24 A-League games before teaming up with the Socceroos for international duty.

Still, guys like Craig Noone – who has six goals and eight assists to his name this term – and Adrian Luna should be able to cause any A-League backline plenty of problems.

Whatever happens to the Bulls on Sunday, they can be extremely proud of their efforts this year. Competing in their maiden A-League campaign, they have done remarkably well to reach the Finals Series – let alone the semi-finals.

But after pushing Central Coast to extra-time, Ante Milicic’s men scored twice to book their spot in the last four.

Although Matt Derbyshire racked up 14 goals and five assists during the regular season, the Bulls finished the campaign as the fourth-lowest scorers in the A-League. However, they happen to boast one of the best defensive records in the division.

Sure, Milicic’s men finished ten points behind City on the ladder. But if they bring their A-game to AAMI Park, there is no reason why they can’t frustrate the hosts.

Purely for the potential profit, I’m going with the draw for my Melbourne City vs. Macarthur FC betting pick.

There is no denying that Kisnorbo’s side deserves the favorite tag here. But when you consider City’s recent run of poor results, odds of 1.44 for the home win feel far too low to bother with.

The Bulls will be brimming with belief after seeing off the Mariners last weekend, so I’m backing them to push Sunday’s clash all the way to extra-time.