Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory: Preview, Prediction, Lineups | A-League 2025/26

Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Match Preview

Round 7 of the Isuzu UTE A-League brings a Friday night blockbuster to Campbelltown Stadium as Macarthur FC host a desperate Melbourne Victory.¹

For the Bulls, managed by Mile Sterjovski, the season has been a balancing act between domestic duties and their AFC Champions League 2 campaign.² Sitting 10th on the ladder, their form has been erratic—capable of beating Asian opponents like Tai Po (2-1) but falling flat against A-League strugglers like Perth Glory (0-2) last weekend. With former Sydney FC captain Luke Brattan now anchoring their midfield, they have the quality to climb, but fatigue is a genuine concern.

Melbourne Victory find themselves in unfamiliar territory: 12th place. Patrick Kisnorbo’s side has managed just one win in six games and enters this clash on the back of three consecutive defeats.³ Despite the marquee arrival of World Cup winner Juan Mata, goals have been scarce. However, their recent head-to-head record against Macarthur is strong, and they will view this trip to Sydney as a must-win to jump-start their season.

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Quick Match Info

• Fixture: Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory
• Competition: A-League Men (Round 7)
• Venue: Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sydney (Capacity: 17,500)
• Date: Friday, 05 December 2025
• Kickoff Time: 19:35 AEDT / 08:35 GMT / 14:05 IST
• Referee: TBC
• TV Channel (Australia): Paramount+
• TV Channel (India): FanCode (TBC)
• Live Stream: Paramount+⁴

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Match Context (2025/26 Season)

Macarthur FC:

• Position: 10th in A-League (7 Points).⁵
• Form: Inconsistent (L-W-W-L-W). Their home form is generally strong, but the 0-2 loss to Perth Glory was a “lacklustre” performance according to the coach.
• Current Challenge: Managing fatigue. The midweek travel for ACL2 games is taking a toll on the squad’s sharpness.

Melbourne Victory:

• Position: 12th in A-League (4 Points).⁶
• Form: Poor. Three straight losses against Brisbane (0-1), Sydney FC (0-3), and Melbourne City (0-2).⁷ They haven’t scored a goal in their last three outings.
• Current Challenge: Scoring goals. With only 0.67 goals per game, the pressure is on Nikos Vergos and Juan Mata to finally click in the final third.⁸

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — What’s at Stake

For Macarthur FC:

• Top 6 Push: A win would stabilize their season and potentially push them into the finals places depending on other results.

For Melbourne Victory:

• Crisis Management: A fourth straight loss would pile immense pressure on the manager and squad. They need points to get off the bottom of the table.

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Team Form

Macarthur FC (Last 5 Matches):

• L vs Perth Glory (0-2)⁹
• W vs Tai Po (2-1 – ACL2)¹⁰
• W vs Wellington Phoenix (1-0)¹¹
• L vs Sydney FC (0-2)
• W vs Cong An Ha Noi (2-1 – ACL2)¹²

Melbourne Victory (Last 5 Matches):

• L vs Brisbane Roar (0-1)
• L vs Sydney FC (0-3)
• L vs Melbourne City (0-2)
• W vs Perth Glory (2-0)¹³
• L vs Newcastle Jets (2-5)¹⁴

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Team News

Macarthur FC:

• Chris Ikonomidis: Out (Injury – The winger misses out against his former club).
• Bernardo Oliveira: Out (Inactive).
• Valère Germain: Not listed in the squad, suggesting Ji Dong-Won will lead the line again.
• Luke Brattan: The veteran midfielder starts against the team he defeated in the Australia Cup final.

Melbourne Victory:

• Denis Genreau: Suspended (Red Card – A massive loss in midfield following his dismissal against Brisbane).¹⁵
• Damien Da Silva: Out (Inactive – The experienced defender is missing).
• Brendan Hamill: Out (Knee Injury).
• Joshua Inserra: Questionable (Injury).
• Defensive Shuffle: With Da Silva and Hamill out, Roderick Miranda will partner young Linus Jackson in defense.

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Head to Head

• 25 Apr 2025: Macarthur 1–2 Victory
• 03 Nov 2024: Victory 2–1 Macarthur
• 29 Sep 2024: Victory 0–1 Macarthur (Australia Cup Final)¹⁶
• 10 Feb 2024: Victory 0–1 Macarthur¹⁷
• 24 Nov 2023: Macarthur 1–1 Victory¹⁸

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Predicted Lineups

Macarthur FC (4-2-3-1):

• GK: Filip Kurto
• RB: Courtney Talbot
• CB: Tomislav Uskok
• CB: Matthew Jurman (C)
• LB: Harry Politidis
• CDM: Luke Brattan
• CDM: Lachlan Rose (Dropping deeper or playing wide)
• RW: Stipe Grzan
• CAM: Anthony Caceres
• LW: Raphael Duran
• ST: Ji Dong-Won

Melbourne Victory (4-2-3-1):

• GK: Jack Duncan
• RB: Joshua Rawlins¹⁹
• CB: Roderick Miranda (C)
• CB: Linus Jackson
• LB: Jason Davidson²⁰
• CDM: Louis D’Arrigo
• CDM: Jordi Valadon
• RW: Keegan Jelacic
• CAM: Juan Mata²¹
• LW: Matthew Grimaldi
• ST: Nikos Vergos

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Impact Bench Options

Macarthur FC:

• Jed Drew: Offers pace and direct running off the bench if Macarthur needs a spark.
• Ariath Piol: A physical option upfront to replace Ji Dong-Won late in the game.

Melbourne Victory:

• Nishan Velupillay: Expected to return to the bench. His speed is Victory’s best weapon against tiring defenses.
• Reno Piscopo: Creative option if Mata runs out of steam.

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Tactical Outlook

Macarthur FC:

• Playing Style: Midfield Control. With Luke Brattan and Anthony Caceres, Macarthur wants to dictate play. They will look to feed Raphael Duran on the wing to isolate the inexperienced Rawlins.
• Weakness: Fatigue. If Victory press high early, Macarthur’s legs might feel heavy from their continental exertions.

Melbourne Victory:

• Playing Style: Mata-Ball? Victory are trying to play through Juan Mata, but the lack of movement upfront has made them stagnant. Without Genreau, D’Arrigo needs to step up to protect a makeshift backline.
• Strength: Desperation. Victory are cornered animals. They might abandon their possession style for a more direct approach to Vergos.

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Key Battles

Matchup	Battle Type	Edge
Luke Brattan vs. Juan Mata	Masterclass: Two of the most technical players in the league. Brattan will try to tackle Mata out of the game.	Tie
Ji Dong-Won vs. Roderick Miranda	Target Man Duel: Ji is experienced and clever. Miranda is the leader of a depleted defense. If Ji pulls him wide, gaps will appear.	Macarthur
Raphael Duran vs. Joshua Rawlins	Speed Mismatch: Duran is tricky and fast. Rawlins is young. This is Macarthur’s main avenue of attack.	Macarthur

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Prediction

Score Prediction: Macarthur FC 2–1 Melbourne Victory

Betting Insights:

• Outcome: Macarthur FC to Win.
• Both Teams to Score: YES (Victory are due a goal; Macarthur rarely keep clean sheets).
• Key Stat: Juan Mata to register a shot on target.

Analysis: Melbourne Victory are in a rut that seems hard to break, especially with key defensive injuries and the suspension of Genreau. Macarthur, while inconsistent, have the home advantage and the midfield quality in Brattan and Caceres to control the game. Expect a tight contest, but the Bulls should edge it.

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Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory — Final Word

It’s a battle of two teams searching for rhythm. Macarthur FC have the tools to hurt a fragile Melbourne Victory defense, but they must overcome their own fatigue. Victory need a hero—could this finally be the night Juan Mata announces himself to the A-League?

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Call to Action — SportsphereArena Community

Can Victory finally score a goal and get a win? Drop your predictions below!

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