- Northcote City U23 are 1st in the U23 Victoria Premier League 1 on 40 points from 18 matches, setting the pace at the top of the table.
- Melbourne Knights U23 are 6th in the same table on 31 points from 18, keeping just about in touch with the race at the top.
- Northcote City U23 have won 4 of their last 5 competitive matches.
Transition and tempo at the heart of Knights vs Northcote games
Northcote City U23's last clash with Melbourne Knights U23 ended in a comprehensive statement victory for the Knights, and their clash on Friday looks primed to be another classic fixture between two very different sides.
Northcote play a direct, transition-first game, pinning the opponent back and breaking quickly and vertically. They're there to play on the counter, and they're there to cause chaos in the offensive third.
Melbourne Knights U23 on the other hand are more of a possession-based side, a technical outfit that likes to play in shape and will move the ball around the pitch looking to carve out a killer pass.
This meeting is a classic clash of two different types of teams, one that wants to make the game chaotic, and one that prefers to keep the game orderly. Given that clash, we feel this one is likely to be an exciting encounter, with goals at both ends.
Side with the goals
Northcote have been a great bet for goals in recent weeks, rattling off a 4-1 win at North Sunshine, a 3-2 win over North Geelong, a 4-0 battering of Langwarrin and a 2-1 away win over Western United U23 before their setback against the Knights.
Winger Thierry Swaby is Northcote's dangerman, and Sam Warde has also chipped in with some crucial goals and this team does have some real firepower.
Melbourne Knights U23 have gone on a hot streak of their own, notching 3-1 wins over Brunswick Juventus and North Sunshine Eagles and then smashing 5 past North Geelong in a 5-0 result.
There's a bit of an spread across multiple scorers about Melbourne's attack, which makes them difficult to stop and easy to catch fire when they click into gear.
At 1.23, both teams to score looks like a big number for a game of this nature, while the draw comes in at 4.25, and over 2.5 goals at 1.21 looks like a good alternative. We're going for a goal-laden clash of styles in this one.
Melbourne Knights can pull off an upset
The Knights have some momentum behind them in this fixture and we're not going to underestimate them for the exact reason they blew Northcote away on the last occasion. Melbourne Knights U23 are a big price of 2.28 to win this game and the same is true of Northcote City U23, suggesting the bookmakers are viewing this as an even fixture.
Northcote are the slight favourites based on the ladder position, but after the way the Knights came out in that meeting back on 27 June, we simply can't ignore their chance to pull an upset.
This will be a close game, and it should be an entertaining one, but Northcote do just edge it on paper. Discipline will be tested for the hosts after that clash in June, which also saw a little bit of a nasty aftertaste.
The Knights have more quality and can get the better of Northcote in this clash, but we're siding with the home side just in case the hangover from that previous clash holds them back.