Glory Head Coach Ruben Zadkovich is relishing the prospect of seeing his charges go toe-to-toe with league leaders Melbourne City at Macedonia Park on Saturday (kick-off at 7.30pm, tickets HERE).
The reigning Premiers come into the game having lost just once all season and put six past Macarthur FC in their most recent outing.
But Rado Vidosic’s high-fliers provide exactly the kind of challenge that Zadkovich believes both he and his players will relish.
View his full pre-match media conference HERE.
“It’s an awesome opportunity,” he said.
“When you get an opportunity to host the best team in the comp over the last couple of seasons and certainly this season, it’s a great opportunity for us to make a statement and that’s exactly what we want to do.
“For the playing group and the staff, it’s more about the three points; it doesn’t really matter who we’re playing.
“But if you can get the three points in the right fashion, it can be a real statement piece.
“I love these ones.
“They got the better of us before [in Round 5] and they were better than us in every facet of the game.
“But I look back at the last time we had City here in Perth and it was a different contest and we were able to get the win, so where there’s a will, there’s a way.
“It’s a very difficult game for us, but I look to rise to these occasions and I know my team will as well.
“The belief is very big in that dressing room, so I feel like City better be ready for a game.”
While bullish about his side’s prospects, Zadkovich was quick to acknowledge the qualities City possess.
“City have a lot of the ball and for the lack of a better word, they’re a million-dollar team in a lot of positions,” he said.
“They’ve got Leckie, Nabbout, Tilio, Maclaren; they’re all Socceroos and World Cup players.
“I look at that and then I look at their foreigners, Berisha and van der Venne and they’re a high-calibre team, full of superstars.
“I like to think we’re a bit the opposite.
“We’re a really good, strong team, not so much full of superstars as we are just a really solid unit.
“We have to stay very clear on what we do and make sure we impose the way we want to play on the game and make sure the game reflects what we’ve been doing and not so much what they’re doing.
“I feel like if the boys maintain their confidence and start the game well, we can get on the front foot and we want to try and make it an uncomfortable game for them.”
The Head Coach went on to confirm that Adam Taggart is in line to feature once again, as is Jack Clisby who missed the last two games through suspension.
“A lot of guys are putting their hands up to be included this week,” he said.
“Taggs has trained well this week which is a good inclusion for us… hopefully he gets through today’s session well.
“Clis is back from suspension and he’ll play a part; whether he starts or is on the bench is yet to be determined.
“He’s certainly trained well and looks like he wants to be in the mix.
“Competition for spots is good, which is always a helping hand.”
City’s impressive campaign to date has been underpinned by the goals of Maclaren who has helped himself to 16 already and appears destined to secure yet another A-League Golden Boot.
Dutch midfielder van der Venne has chipped in with five goals, three of which came against Macarthur FC last weekend, while Tilio has claimed four assists and at the back, Tom Glover has kept six clean sheets.
The last ten meetings between the two clubs have produced three wins for Glory, four for City and three draws.
Match Details
ISUZU UTE A-League Round 16
Perth Glory v Melbourne City
Macedonia Park
Saturday 11 February 2023
Kick-off: 7.30pm
Perth Glory squad: 2.John KOUTROUMBIS, 3.Jacob DOWSE, 4.Luke BODNAR, 5.Mark BEEVERS, 7.Ryan WILLIAMS, 8.Mustafa AMINI (c), 13.Cameron COOK (gk),14.Jack CLISBY, 15.Jordan ELSEY, 16.Keegan JELACIC, 18.David WILLIAMS, 19.Zach DUNCAN, 21.Antonee BURKE-GILROY, 22.Adam TAGGART, 28.Trent OSTLER, 29.Darryl LACHMAN, 30.Pierce CLARK (gk), 36.Joseph FORDE, 37.Jacob MUIR, 43.Adam ZIMARINO
Ins: 2.John KOUTROUMBIS, 14.Jack CLISBY
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 1.Brad JONES (gk) (injured), 6.Aaron MCENEFF (injured), 10.Salim KHELIFI (injured), 24.Adrian SARDINERO (injured)
Melbourne City squad: 1. Tom GLOVER (GK), 2. Scott GALLOWAY, 3. Scott JAMIESON (C), 4. Nuno REIS, 6. Thomas LAM, 7. Mathew LECKIE, 8. Richard VAN DER VENNE, 9. Jamie MACLAREN, 10. Florin BERENGUER 13. Aiden O’NEILL, 14. Valon BERISHA, 15. Andrew NABBOUT, 18. Jordon HALL, 22. Curtis GOOD, 23. Marco TILIO, 25. Callum TALBOT, 33. Matthew SUTTON (GK), 34. Arion SULEMANI, 35. Raphael BORGES RODRIGUES, 38. Jordan BOS.
In: 18. Jordon HALL (promoted), 34. Arion SULEMANI (promoted).
Out: Nil
Unavailable: Nil
#ONEGlory