- Bayside Argonauts won 2-1 in the one previous meeting between these sides in the Victoria Premier League 2 (VPL2) 2026 campaign.
- Whittlesea United SC have kept clean sheets in two of their last three VPL2 fixtures, beating Malvern City 1-0 and Springvale 2-0.
Tyson’s Argonauts are on the attack
Bayside Argonauts have found their goalscoring groove, netting seven times in their last two outings to record back-to-back wins against Kingston City (5-0) and Werribee City (2-0) after three consecutive defeats. Tyson Holmes' side play with a high tempo, aggressive pressing and lots of wide combinations to stretch defences and create chaos in the final third.
Masatou Chiba is Bayside's main goal threat and can usually be relied upon to make the most of their attacking momentum, while Andy Brennan's A-League experience adds a creative spark on the wings. Bayside are in the VPL2 top-four with 27 points from 16 games and will be looking to build on that with a win over mid-table Whittlesea United (20 points), who have won two, lost two and drawn one of their last five games.
Ivan Franjic's pragmatic approach has seen his team sit compact and play with a defence-first mentality. They have been solid enough in recent weeks to keep two clean sheets and pick up some important results, which should put them in a comfortable mid-table position by the end of the season.
Bayside’s better with the ball
Whittlesea are a tough, hard to beat team with a solid defence, which is the backbone to their success. Agustín Echeverría is a big reason why they have been able to shut teams out in recent games and their forwards are effective when on the break or off set-pieces.
This game is a classic clash of styles between an energetic, attacking team and a more conservative one that doesn't take as many risks. Bayside are the favourites at 3.56, but we feel Whittlesea are just as likely to win with odds of 1.73 and even the draw looks good at 4.15. Therefore, we will take our chances on the Both teams to score - Yes market at 1.48, which has a solid chance of success given both teams' respective form.
The correct scores that stand out in this game are the 1-1 and 2-1 in favour of the visitors because Bayside are more likely to find the net on Friday. The weather is set to be cool and cloudy with passing showers in Whittlesea, which could lead to a grittier, lower-scoring match, so both sides will need to be well-organised at the back.