Perth Glory vs. Melbourne Victory – A-League, May 9, 2021

Two of the A-League’s biggest underachievers clash at HBF Park on Sunday, May 9, as Perth Glory welcomes Melbourne Victory to Western Australia.

The Glory find themselves tenth on the ladder and 11 points outside the top six, while eleventh-place Victory sit four points behind Perth and only two points ahead of cellar-dweller Newcastle.

Before starting the 2020/21 campaign, both sides were expected to reach the Finals Series. But with only a handful of games remaining, neither team looks capable of securing a top-six finish.

After checking out the odds and sharing my team analysis, I will give my Perth Glory vs. Melbourne Victory prediction and betting pick.

I expected Perth (1.57) to be the bookmakers’ favorite to win this match. However, the price for the home win feels far too low here, especially when you consider Glory’s recent poor form.

We all know that Victory (5.25) is struggling, but the team has shown signs of improvement in recent weeks. With that in mind, there is definitely value in the odds for the draw (4.25) and the away win.

Everyone is talking about how badly Victory’s season is going. But given that Perth is only five points ahead of the Melbourne strugglers, I think more people should be talking about the Glory’s fall from grace.

Granted, Perth has two games in hand over Victory. But having won just five of their 18 matches this term, there is no hiding from the fact that Richard Garcia’s men are in a terrible position.

The Western Australians’ last win came back in March, and that is their only win in their previous 12 games (four draws, seven losses).

Following a somewhat improved goalless draw with Macarthur last weekend, Perth suffered an eye-opening 3-1 defeat to Melbourne City on Wednesday. The gulf in quality between the Glory and City was clear for all to see.

It feels strange to praise a team that has lost three of their last six matches. But following a wretched mid-season run for the Boys in Blue, they have undoubtedly upped their game recently.

Having beaten Newcastle 2-1, Victory thrashed the Wanderers 5-4 in the first game after Grant Brebner’s sacking. Caretaker manager Steve Kean then guided the team to a surprise draw with the Mariners.

At this stage, it feels like the Victory players are simply playing for pride. With a top-six finish now out of the equation, avoiding the dreaded wooden spoon is the best outcome they can hope for.

On Thursday, Kean’s men took the lead against Macarthur and ended up finishing the game with 21 shots to their name. Still, the Bulls didn’t exactly struggle to come from behind and snatch all three points of Victory.

With Tony Popovic set to take over at the end of the season, the players are already fighting for a place in his side.

The betting sites are favoring Perth to win this one. However, I really don’t think the low price for the home win is worth bothering with.

While the Glory has continued to put in poor performances, the Boys in Blue have started to show they can compete with the top teams in the A-League.

If you’re feeling lucky, backing Victory to beat Perth at 5.25 wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. But in my eyes, the draw is the best bet for Perth Glory vs. Melbourne Victory.