Melbourne City vs. Sydney FC – A-League, February 23, 2021

Melbourne City and Sydney FC meet for a repeat of last season’s A-League Grand Final on Tuesday, February 23.

Neither side has made a particularly convincing start to the 2020/21 campaign, but with City currently sitting third from bottom on the A-League ladder, it’s fair to say that fifth-place Sydney FC is in a better position.

Keep reading to see my Melbourne City vs. Sydney FC prediction and betting pick.

Despite enduring a wretched start to the season, Melbourne City (2.40) heads into Tuesday’s clash as the slight favorite with the leading online sportsbooks.

As things stand, Sydney FC (2.70) holds a five-point lead over City. Patrick Kisnorbo’s men have the home-field advantage, but they have also lost each of their previous three outings.

I assess both sides’ chances below.

After winning two of their opening three games this term, it looked as though Melbourne City was ready to stake another A-League title claim in 2021.

However, a damaging three-match losing streak has swiftly put an end to the title talk surrounding City – at least for now.

Kisnorbo’s side suffered a 3-1 defeat to Perth Glory at the end of January before losing 3-2 to Central Coast Mariners. A fortnight ago, City was beaten 1-0 by Newcastle Jets, although the team hasn’t played since then.

A couple of postponements mean that City has played three games less than some teams in the A-League, but that can’t be used as an excuse for the club’s current league position.

At the end of the day, Kisnorbo’s men have lost four of their six games this season. Having netted just six goals, they are the second-lowest scorers in the league, while only five teams have a poorer defensive record.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS | Check out how close we came to all three points on Saturday with @OFICIALBob13 returning to action in a @SydneyFC shirt.#SydneyIsSkyBlue #Premi4rs #Champion5 #SYDvBRI pic.twitter.com/W0S1EucjLX

— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) February 21, 2021

After taking just four points from their opening three matches, people were quick to criticize Sydney FC’s start to the 2020/21 campaign, too.

But having claimed seven points from a possible nine since then, the Sky Blues’ three-game unbeaten run has put them in a strong position to start climbing the A-League ladder.

Sydney’s hot streak began with a convincing 3-0 victory over Macarthur before a Kosta Barbarouses double saw Steve Corica’s side clinch a hard-fought 2-1 against Wellington Phoenix.

Despite seeing almost 60% possession and registering 17 shots on Saturday, the defending champions were held to a goalless draw by Brisbane Roar. Still, there were plenty of positives to take away from that game.

A second clean sheet in three games means that Corica’s men boast the best defensive record in the league, having only conceded five goals in six outings this term. Needless to say, the champs will be confident of extending their unbeaten streak to four games against off-form City.

In my opinion, the price for the away win is too big to miss here. We all know that City is likely to rise to the occasion on Tuesday, but I’m still expecting Sydney FC to be too strong for the home side.

Kisnorbo’s men are currently the second-lowest scorers in the A-League, while the Sky Blues have conceded the fewest goals. All the signs are pointing towards a low-scoring away win on Tuesday.