Sydney FC vs. Melbourne City – A-League, April 10, 2021

Sydney FC and Melbourne City produced a five-goal thriller back in February, with Patrick Kisnorbo’s side beating the defending champions 3-2 at AAMI Park.

Last year’s Grand Finalists meet again on Saturday, April 10. City currently sits second on the A-League ladder – three points behind the Mariners and two points ahead of fourth-place Sydney FC.

In this Sydney FC vs. Melbourne City betting preview, I assess the odds, give my prediction, and share my pick.

Following City’s victory over Sydney FC in February, the top-rated betting sites expect Kisnorbo’s men to get the better of the defending champions again on Saturday.

The Sky Blues beat City to the Premiership last term before triumphing in the Grand Final, but there is no denying that City is playing better soccer than Sydney FC at the moment.

Having endured a difficult period, there is light at the end of the tunnel for Sydney FC. Don’t get me wrong, Steve Corica’s men are still in a strong position. But their customary A-League dominance hasn’t always been evident this season.

After losing to City, the reigning champs were beaten by Macarthur. But since then, they have only lost one of their last seven matches – picking up four wins in their previous six games.

Goals from Bobo, Kosta Barbarouses, and Alexander Baumjohann saw Sydney FC claim an easy 3-0 win over Melbourne Victory last weekend. Barbarouses then scored in successive outings as Corica’s men edged out Perth Glory 1-0 on Wednesday.

On top of keeping two clean sheets in a row, the Sky Blues have scored four goals across their previous two games. Goals were hard to come by at the beginning of the season, but they seem to be flowing now.

Regardless of their recent upturn in form, it is worth noting that Corica’s men have lost three of their last four regular-season meetings with Melbourne City.

City’s seemingly unstoppable winning streak was finally brought to an end by Western United last week, with the Green & Black snapping the run at six matches.

However, Kisnorbo’s side wasted no time in returning to winning ways last time out. Despite facing tough competition from Wellington, City managed to hold on to a 3-2 victory, with Jamie Maclaren getting on the scoresheet yet again.

Maclaren has bagged 13 goals and five assists in 14 A-League matches this season, meaning he currently sits three goals clear of Macarthur’s Matt Derbyshire on the Golden Boot leaderboard. With ten goals coming in his last eight appearances, he is undoubtedly the league’s hottest striker right now.

Let’s not forget that Maclaren contributed two goals and one assist in City’s 3-2 victory over Sydney FC less than two months ago.

With two games in hand over Central Coast, City can move to the top of the A-League ladder this weekend. Kisnorbo’s men don’t need an incentive to beat Sydney FC, but they have got one.

Remarkably, Melbourne City has yet to record a draw this season – registering nine wins and five losses so far. But I can see Kisnorbo’s men picking up their first draw of the campaign on Saturday.

Apart from the 2020 Grand Final loss, City’s recent record against Sydney FC is good. However, the Sky Blues appear to have rediscovered their best form over the past couple weeks.

Just like February’s clash, I expect Saturday’s showdown to be a closely-fought encounter. With that in mind, the draw is my Sydney FC vs. Melbourne City pick.