- Brunswick Juventus have won four of their last five matches, including the last three games in the NPL Victoria 2.
- Bulleen Lions have lost just one of their eight away games in NPL Victoria 2 this season (Won 3, drawn 4).
- Bulleen Lions have not won at Brunswick Juventus in meetings between the clubs.
In-form Juventus to justify favouritism
Bulleen Lions' away form has been solid, but Brunswick Juventus are on a roll and will justify their favouritism in Friday's NPL Victoria 2 contest between these close rivals.
Juve are third in the NPL Victoria 2 table with 33 points from 17 games, seven more than their visitors who are fifth with 26 points. They are also in better form with four wins from their last five games, following a run of three straight victories in the competition.
Bulleen are playing good football, but are yet to hit top gear with one win, three draws and one loss from their last five league matches. After a tough 1-2 home defeat to Manningham United Blues, they edged Port Melbourne Sharks SC 1-0 away and drew 2-2 at Eltham Redbacks, suggesting they are having trouble finishing teams off.
Lions can play on front foot in wide areas
Bulleen's 4-3-3 system is built around getting players forward in numbers and using the width of the pitch, while they press high and look to play at a fast tempo through quick transitions. Juve are a more conservative side who will look to sit deep and counter-attack, making the wide areas and set-pieces pivotal to this contest.
Home advantage makes Juventus the clear choice for victory here, but we will take Bulleen Lions to keep it interesting by backing the double chance bet and adding the draw to our accumulator.
Juve have won the last three meetings between the sides, including a 2-1 away win over Bulleen three months ago in the current campaign. They have won five of their seven home matches, scoring 12. The bookies are in agreement with a healthy 1.67 about them winning this clash, while Bulleen Lions and the draw are 3.98.
The 1.43 about over 2.5 goals is a bit short for our taste, but there is enough evidence to suggest both sides will contribute to an exciting game in front of their respective fans.
