Melbourne Victory will be looking to climb to the top of the A-League standings with a win when they face Sydney at the AAMI Park on Friday. The hosts have accumulated 25 points from 13 rounds and are currently tied on points with Wellington Phoenix at the top.
Melbourne are the only unbeaten team in the league but they have only managed to win four of their last 11 matches. They will need to convert draws into wins to avoid dropping down the standings.
Sydney are currently seventh in the standings but after a poor start to the season, they have won four out of their last five games. They will fancy their chances of getting a win. Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Melbourne Victory vs Sydney FC kick-off time
| Date: | January 26, 2024 |
| Kick-off time: | 8.45 am GMT |
| Venue: | AAMI Park |
The match will be played at the AAMI Park on Friday, with kick-off at 8.45 am GMT for fans in the UK.
How to watch Melbourne Victory vs Sydney FC online - TV channels & live streams
The match will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK. Match highlights will be available on the platform and YouTube after the game. Live updates can be found here on GOAL.
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are unsure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sports.
Team news & squads
Melbourne Victory team news
Melbourne Victory will be without their leading goal scorer Bruno Fornaroli who is with the national team at the AFC Asian Cup.
Head Coach Tony Popovic said that he’s looking forward to the blockbuster match and hopes the fans can pack our AAMI Park.
“We haven’t been home for a little while, so we’re looking forward to seeing our members and fans here, cheering us on and we know how important they are to help us get over the line,” he said.
Melbourne Victory predicted XI: Izzo, Geria, Da Silva, Roderick, Traore, Brimmer, Marchan, Arzani, Machach, Velupillay, Oikonomidis
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Izzo, Siciliano |
| Defenders: | Geria, Traore, Marchan, Da Silva, Chapman, Miranda, Adams |
| Midfielders: | Ikonomidis, Machach, Brimmer, Khelifi, Teague, Valadon, Lino |
| Forwards: | Folami, Velupillay, Monge, Arzani |
Sydney FC team news
The return of Jaiden Kucharski and Robert Mak to the matchday squad this weekend is a positive development for the Sky Blues. Kucharski, who was dealing with a concussion, and Mak, who had a groin complaint since the 2-1 victory over Brisbane Roar earlier this month, are back in contention.
Unfortunately, injuries continue to sideline Aaron Gurd, Jack Rodwell, Joel King, and Wataru Kamijo.
Sydney predicted XI: Redmayne, Grant, Girdwood-Reich, Lacerda, Courtney-Perkins, Hollman, Brattan, Lolley, Caceres, Burgess, Wood.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Redmayne, Pavlesic |
| Defenders: | Courtney-Perkins, Girdwood-Reich, Lacerda, Grant, De Jesus |
| Midfielders: | Hollman, Wood, Caceres, Burgess, Brattan, Kucharski, Matthews |
| Forwards: | Gomes, Lolley, Mak, Scarcella, Glasson, Amanatidis |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 12/16/23 | Melbourne Victory 3 - 0 Sydney | A-League |
| 10/21/23 | Sydney 0 - 2 Melbourne Victory | A-League |
| 03/04/23 | Sydney 1 - 0 Melbourne Victory | A-League |
| 01/26/23 | Melbourne Victory 1 - 2 Sydney | A-League |
| 10/08/22 | Sydney 2 - 3 Melbourne Victory | A-League |