City are set to take on Bentleigh Greens in a preseason friendly in Melbourne’s south-east, with the fixture’s previous iteration in 2017 finishing 2-0 thanks to a Nick Fitzgerald double.
Bentleigh currently sit third on the NPL Victoria table following a strong start to the season, but have fallen off considerably since the midpoint of their 2019 campaign. With only 1 win from their last 5 games, including a 3-0 loss to our adversary from last week, Oakleigh Cannons, our opponents are in a precarious position ahead of Tuesday night’s clash.
Despite having conceded more goals in 2019 than any of the other top 8 NPL Vic sides, the Greens have typically been known for their creativity in attacking play, and have recently garnered a reputation for their defensive solidity, with this season seeming to be an exception to the trend.
Bentleigh were the surprise package of the 2018 FFA Cup, knocking out Wellington Phoenix in the Round of 32 before defeating Broadmeadow Magic (4-0) and 2018 NPL Victoria champions Heidelburg United (1-0). The Greens were ultimately knocked out in the Semi-Finals by eventual champions Adelaide United.
Matthew Thurtell is the star-man up front for Bentleigh, having scored 15 goals in just 21 appearances this campaign. However, his attacking partner throughout the season, Valentino Yuel (8 in 12), left the club not long after the departure of former-coach John Anastasiadis, who was appointed to the Western Melbourne coaching staff having taken the reigns at Bentleigh for the first half of the year.
Melbourne City are set to take on Bentleigh Greens at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Tuesday, August 6. Kick-off will be at 7:30pm.
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