- Northcote City are unbeaten in their last 3 home games and have won 5 of 7 home league games this season (D2, L0).
- Langwarrin have won 3 of their last 5 NPL Victoria 2 matches (D1, L1).
- Both teams have won one each of the last 2 league matches between these two sides.
An intriguing clash of styles
In a clash of two sides at opposite ends of the NPL Victoria 2 table, Northcote City come into this clash as heavy favourites at 1.37 with long shot Langwarrin SC coming in at 5.96. Both teams to score seems a lot more likely at 1.34 and that’s where we’re backing the action to be on Friday.
Northcote City sit second in the NPL Victoria 2 after 15 games, picking up 33 points so far and will be looking to extend their winning streak of two league games against a side they beat 3-1 away from home three months ago in this exact fixture.
Langwarrin SC have had a far more disappointing campaign in NPL Victoria 2 so far and have collected 16 points in 15 games to leave them in 11th position. However, they have picked up some form of late with three wins, a draw and a defeat from their last five matches.
Pragmatic Northcote to stifle their visitors
Northcote City play a pragmatic style of football with their 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 hybrid setup with a compact shape, direct transitions and an emphasis on set-piece threats. Langwarrin SC on the other hand are more flexible in their approach, employing either a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 but preferring to play out wide, have patience in build-up and allow their wings to get forward.
This game could be a tactical clash as Northcote will want to stop Langwarrin’s central progression, while Langwarrin will look to stretch Northcote out and exploit wide areas. The hosts have scored 1.0 goals per match at home against Langwarrin SC and the visitors have scored 0.5 per match against them. The home side have conceded just 0.43 goals per home league match while they’ve scored 1.71 per home league match.
Northcote City are the form team and are unbeaten at home in the league, but Langwarrin SC have improved of late and their away form in the NPL is two wins, three draws and four defeats from nine games. They’re unbeaten in their last three on the road, beating North Sunshine Eagles 1-0 and drawing 0-0 with Melbourne Srbija. We’re expecting Northcote City to make it three wins in a row, but the visitors could put up a better fight than the current odds suggest.
