- Northcote City have been unbeaten at home in the league (5 games: 4 wins, 1 draw).
- Bulleen Lions have been in good form overall (5 games: 3 wins, 2 draws).
- Bulleen Lions have failed to win in their last 3 away trips to Northcote City.
Top vs bottom: top of the table clash in NPL Victoria 2
Northcote City top the NPL Victoria 2 table with 26 points from 12 games, while Bulleen Lions, with 21 points from the same amount of games, sit in 5th place and are still in the playoff race.
Northcote City head into Friday’s encounter having won 2, drawn 2, and lost 1 of their last 5 league games. They drew 1-1 away to Eltham Redbacks, before beating Melbourne Victory Youth 1-0 at home, before falling to a narrow 1-0 loss away to Brunswick Juventus FC.
Bulleen Lions come into this game unbeaten in 5 games, winning 3 and drawing 2. They beat North Geelong Warriors 3-0 at home, then edged North Sunshine Eagles SC 1-0 away, before a 0-0 draw at home to Melbourne Srbija.
Northcote City are the bookies’ favourites at 1.78, with Bulleen Lions at 3.51, suggesting that the hosts are favoured to win this one. These two are closely matched on paper, with 1 win each and 3 draws in their last 5 head-to-head meetings.
An interesting tactical matchup
Bulleen Lions are a well-drilled side, set up in a structured, possession-based manner, which looks to press high up the pitch and dominate sides with their width and structure. Their success will depend on structure, structure and structure.
On the other hand, Northcote City are a more adaptable, pragmatic team, which can play at different tempos and look to be a more dangerous side in transition. They’ll look to disrupt Bulleen’s structure and control of the ball.
Northcote City have been dominant at home in NPL Victoria 2, averaging 2.00 goals per game scored and 0.40 goals conceded. They are a fortress at home, and will look to maintain that record.
Bulleen Lions have been decent on the road in NPL Victoria 2, winning 3, drawing 2, and losing only 1 of their 5 away games. They’ve scored an average of 1.67 goals per match and have conceded an average of 1.33 away from home.
Back both sides to get chances
Neither side will want to give up momentum or bragging rights. The clash of styles should make for an interesting chess game, however, and I expect this to be a high-quality, high-intensity affair.
Bulleen Lions have failed to win in their last 3 away trips to Northcote City. The hosts’ strong home record and Bulleen Lions’ away record suggests that the visitors will at least get a few chances to strike. However, it is highly unlikely that they will be able to outscore Northcote City, so I am backing over 2.5 goals at 1.38.
