- Bentleigh Greens are currently 12th in the NPL Victoria 2026 table, one place behind Altona Magic on goal difference.
- Bentleigh have lost three successive games ahead of this clash and are in poor form.
- Altona Magic have won two and lost three of their last five matches, however, they did beat South Melbourne away from home during that run.
Tight, tense and tricky is the call
A fixture that pits 12th against 11th in the NPL Victoria 2026 standings has all the hallmarks of a proper six-pointer, and that's exactly what we're expecting at Bentleigh Greens SC.
With just 16 points from 17 matches, Altona Magic have had an underwhelming campaign thus far and the fact that Bentleigh Greens are just one place behind them speaks volumes about the standard of football being played.
A battle of styles
Bentleigh Greens are a team that have a compact 4-4-2 shape and employ a low-risk block with lots of men behind the ball, the type of shape that is built to punish opponents when they allow transitions and to cause chaos on set pieces.
Altona Magic are a bit more of a possession team and they prefer to control the tempo and dictate play. They organise their pressing well and they're much more tidy in the build-up play.
This is a real chess match on paper, and it will be interesting to see how the two sides match up.
Going against the grain
The odds tell us that Altona Magic are the slight favourites in this clash at 2.57, Bentleigh Greens are just below them at 2.39 and the draw is a whopping 3.28. That's probably because Bentleigh won 2-0 away against Altona Magic in the NPL Victoria 2026, but that also means the visitors will fancy their chances of turning the tables here.
Both teams to score looks like the sharpest bet at 1.69, although we're also going for under 2.5 goals at 1.81 in what we believe will be a cagey, tight affair.
Uninspiring recent form
Bentleigh Greens come into this game having won none of their last five in all competitions (D2, L3), while they're also on a three-game losing streak, so they'll have to turn things around here. Altona Magic have a similarly poor recent record, but they did manage to beat South Melbourne 3-2 on the road.
However, Bentleigh Greens have won none of their last four home games (D2, L2), scoring just 1.50 goals per game and conceding 2.50. Altona Magic have won only two of their eight away fixtures in the NPL Victoria 2026 (D3, L3), scoring 1.62 and conceding 2.12 on average.
