Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Match Preview
Sunday afternoon football heads to AAMI Park on 28 December 2025, as Melbourne City host their favorite opponents, Perth Glory. City sit 4th on the ladder but are in a mini-slump, having gone three games without a win (D-L-D) following a frustrating 1–1 draw with Macarthur in midweek. Perth Glory, currently 10th, had a resurgence in late November but have crashed back to earth with consecutive losses to Sydney FC and Adelaide United. History heavily favors the hosts here; City have scored a staggering 18 goals in their last four league meetings against the Glory, including famous 8–0 and 5–0 demolitions.
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Match Info
- Competition: Isuzu UTE A-League (Matchday 11)
- Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne (Capacity: 30,050)
- Date: Sunday, 28 December 2025
- Kickoff: 17:00 AEDT | 14:00 AWST | 06:00 GMT
- Referee: TBC (Football Australia Appointment)
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Match Stakes
Melbourne City (4th — 13 pts):
- Win → Moves to 16 pts; solidifies top 4 spot and snaps the 3-game winless run
- Draw → Disappointing result at home; questions raised about title credentials
- Loss → Could drop to 5th or 6th; pressure mounts on the manager after a poor December
Perth Glory (10th — 10 pts):
- Win → Moves to 13 pts; huge upset that drags them right back into the finals mix
- Draw → A rare point at AAMI Park; stops the run of defeats
- Loss → 3rd straight loss; remains stuck in the bottom four with a poor goal difference (-5)
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Team News
Melbourne City:
- Leckie M. — Available (Key Attacker)
- Behich A. — Available (Captain)
- Nabbout A. — Available (Pace/Power on wing)
- Fatigue Factor: City played just 5 days ago vs Macarthur; some rotation in midfield is possible.
Perth Glory:
- Taggart A. — Available (Captain & Top Scorer)
- O’Neill B. — Available (Midfield General)
- Risdon J. — Available (Experienced Defender)
- Freshness: Glory have had an 8-day break since their loss to Adelaide, giving them a physical advantage.
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Melbourne City
- 23/12 — 1–1 vs Macarthur FC (A-League)
- 20/12 — 0–1 vs Melbourne Victory (A-League)
- 10/12 — 1–1 vs FC Seoul (ACL)
- 06/12 — 1–0 vs Newcastle Jets (A-League)
- 29/11 — 0–0 vs Central Coast Mariners (A-League)
Perth Glory
- 20/12 — 0–1 vs Adelaide United (A-League)
- 13/12 — 0–1 vs Sydney FC (A-League)
- 05/12 — 1–0 vs WS Wanderers (A-League)
- 30/11 — 2–0 vs Macarthur FC (A-League)
- 23/11 — 2–1 vs Newcastle Jets (A-League)
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 25/10/2025 — Melbourne City 4–0 Perth Glory
- 15/02/2025 — Melbourne City 1–0 Perth Glory
- 10/11/2024 — Perth Glory 0–5 Melbourne City
- 03/08/2024 — Perth Glory 5–4 Melbourne City (Australia Cup – AET)
- 14/04/2024 — Melbourne City 8–0 Perth Glory
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Melbourne City (4-3-3)
Beach; Talbot, Souprayen, Trewin, Behich; Ugarkovic, Jeggo, Lopane; Nabbout, Caputo, Leckie
Perth Glory (4-4-2)
Sail; Risdon, Barr, Hamzaoui, Lisolajski; Wales, O’Neill, Gomulka, Mileusnic; Taggart, Williams
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Impact Bench
Melbourne City: Tilio (Game breaker), Mazzeo (Youthful energy)
Perth Glory: Blair (Target man), Bugarija (Creative midfield option)
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Tactical Analysis
Melbourne City
Despite recent stumbles, City remains a possession-heavy side. At home against Perth, they will push their full-backs (Behich and Talbot) extremely high. Their dominance in this fixture usually comes from overwhelming Perth’s wide defenders. With Leckie and Nabbout cutting inside, they will look to overload the box and create cut-back opportunities.
Perth Glory
Perth’s recent away wins (vs Macarthur and Newcastle) came from disciplined defending and clinical finishing from Adam Taggart. However, they struggle mightily against City’s movement. Glory must disrupt City’s rhythm in midfield through Brandon O’Neill and avoid sitting too deep, or they risk suffering another heavy defeat like the 8–0 or 5–0 drubbings of the past.
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Key Battles
- Taggart vs Souprayen — League’s best finisher vs City’s defensive leader
- Leckie vs Risdon — Socceroo vs Socceroo on the flank
- Ugarkovic vs O’Neill — Battle for control of the engine room
- Beach vs Williams — City GK needs to stay alert to long shots
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Spotlight Players
Melbourne City — Mathew Leckie
When City needs a spark, Leckie delivers. Against a Glory defense that often leaves gaps, his ability to drive into the box and finish will be critical to breaking down the visitors.
Perth Glory — Adam Taggart
The Glory captain is often the lone bright spot in attack. If Perth are to get anything from AAMI Park, Taggart needs to convert the one or two half-chances he might get.
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Prediction
Melbourne City 3–1 Perth Glory
While Perth have the rest advantage, they have a psychological block against Melbourne City (losing by an aggregate of 18–0 in their last 4 league meetings). City are due a big performance after a quiet couple of weeks, and AAMI Park is the perfect stage for them to rediscover their scoring touch.
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Betting Insights
- Melbourne City -1.5 Handicap — Value Bet (History of big wins)
- Over 2.5 Goals — Very Likely
- Mathew Leckie to Score — YES
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — Where to Watch
- Australia: Paramount+, 10 Bold
- New Zealand: Sky Sport
- International: YouTube (KeepUp – Select Regions)
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory — FAQs
Q: When is the Melbourne City vs Perth Glory match?
A: The match kicks off on Sunday, 28 December 2025, at 17:00 AEDT.
Q: Who has the better Head-to-Head record?
A: Melbourne City dominates this fixture, winning the last 4 league meetings with a combined score of 18–0.
Q: Is Melbourne City in good form?
A: Not particularly; they are winless in their last 3 games (2 draws, 1 loss).
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