Saturday’s first A-League Round 27 match is between Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory. The opening kick-off is set to commence at 5.30pm with the game to be played at Westpac Stadium. The away team Melbourne Victory are the favourites for the match. View our live scores and teams for the game between Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory.

Round: Round 27, Saturday, 12 April 2014, 5.30pm
Stadium: Westpac Stadium
Head to head: Played: 22, Wins: Phoenix 4, Victory 12, Draws: 6
Previous encounter: Phoenix 5-0 Victory, January 18 2014

Odds Comparison:

Wellington Phoenix	2.90	3.10	2.85	3.10	2.90	2.88
Draw	3.60	3.50	3.45	3.50	3.60	3.40
Melbourne Victory	2.30	2.20	2.30	2.20	2.30	2.25

All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.

Preview:

The Phoenix play the Victory on Saturday, 3.30PM at Westpac Stadium.  This game has the potential to be a tight encounter, even though both teams are in very different situations.  A top four finish and home final is up for grabs for the 5th placed Victory, who are equal on points with Adelaide and a single point behind both the Central Coast and the Wanderers.  Despite the massive gap between 1st and the rest of the pack, the tight finish this season is making for some interesting matches.

While the 9th placed New Zealand outfit have struggled this year, they will come out fighting this weekend as they try to avoid the wooden spoon.  The hunger to avoid defeat is rarely as strong as the hunger for victory, however, and Ernie Merrick’s men are likely to feel yet more disappointment.  A Victory win could see them reach as high as second on the ladder, an incentive too strong for the Melbourne outfit to ignore.

Teams:

Wellington Phoenix squad:
1.Glen MOSS (gk), 2.Manny MUSCAT, 4.Luke ADAMS, 5.Michael BOXALL, 9.Kenny Cunningham, 10.Stein HUYSEGEMS, 11.Jeremy BROCKIE, 12.Tyler BOYD, 14.Alex RUFER, 15.Jason HICKS, 17.Vince LIA, 19.Hamish WATSON, 21.Carlos HERNANDEZ, 22.Andrew DURANTE (c), 23.Matthew RIDENTON, 24.Roy KRISHNA, 25.Shaun TIMMINS, 30 Jacob SPOONLEY (gk)
**Two to be omitted**
Ins: 2.Manny MUSCAT (returns from suspension), 14.Alex RUFER (promoted)
Outs: 18.Ben SIGMUND (quad injury)
Unavailable: 3.Reece CAIRA (fractured cheekbone 6-8 weeks), 6.Josh BRINDELL-SOUTH (ankle injury 4-6 weeks), 7.Leo BERTOS (groin injury 2 to 3 weeks), 8.Paul IFILL (ruptured Achilles, season), 13.Albert RIERA (groin injury, season), 16.Louis FENTON (shoulder injury, season), 18.Ben SIGMUND (quad injury 2-3 weeks), 20.Lewis ITALIANO (thumb injury 4-5 weeks).

Melbourne Victory squad:
1.Nathan COE (GK), 3.Adama TRAORE, 4.Nick ANSELL, 5.Mark MILLIGAN (C), 6.Leigh BROXHAM, 7.Gui FINKLER, 9.Kosta BARBAROUSES, 10.Archie THOMPSON, 11.Connor PAIN, 13.Andrew NABBOUT, 14.James TROISI, 16.Rashid MAHAZI, 17.James JEGGO, 20.Lawrence THOMAS (GK), 22.Jesse MAKAROUNAS, 23.Adrian LEIJER, 24.Scott GALLOWAY, 25.Jason GERIA
**Two to be omitted**
Ins: 4.Nick ANSELL (returns from injury), 11. Connor PAIN (promoted), 22. Jesse MAKAROUNAS (promoted).
Outs: 21. Tom ROGIC (groin – 1-2 weeks)
Unavailable: 2. Pablo CONTRERAS (hamstring – 1 week)

News:

Victory go into the game at Westpac Stadium on Saturday afternoon fifth on the table, needing maximum points to have a chance of snatching second place.

They will have some idea of what they need to do after Adelaide, fourth going into the weekend, play away to Newcastle on Friday night.

Western Sydney, the incumbents of the prized second spot, and Central Coast in third are both away from home later on Saturday, against Melbourne Heart and Brisbane Roar respectively.

The Phoenix are out of finals contention and limping to the finish line, burdened by the longest injury list in the competition.

But despite all the signs – on paper at least – pointing to a straight forward away win, Muscat has no illusions about just how tough the contest at the Cake Tin is likely to prove.

“It’s not going to be easy,” he said.

“Certainly the players have not been given a message that this is going to be a (case of) turn up and get the job done.

“It’s going have to be hard work.

“What I do know is our focus is to get our performance spot on.

“It’s been proven when our performance is of a high quality, the result normally looks after itself,” he said.

“Our best is certainly good enough.”

Although second spot may yet prove out of their reach, Victory can still finish third or fourth if other results go their way.

And while home advantage in an elimination final would certainly be welcomed, Muscat claims he hasn’t be dwelling on what his team’s fixture list – which also includes AFC Champions League commitments – will look like in the coming weeks.

“There’s so much uncertainty I haven’t given it any thought whatsoever,” he said.

“As a player you want to be playing in the big games.

“They’ve been pretty big – we’ve had the same conversation on the day before the game for the last six weeks.

“Every game’s been massive. Tomorrow night’s no different.”

Victory will come up against two familiar faces on Saturday in the shape of inaugural coach Ernie Merrick and former star Carlos Hernandez, their third such meeting with the pair this season and the tally level at one win apiece.

Muscat dismissed suggestions Merrick and Hernandez could be planning a costly ambush of their former employers, but knows his players must be on their game against one of the league’s top talents.

“Certainly Carlos as a player – he’s a good footballer,” he said.

“We respect that fact like we do the other good players in the rest of the competition when we play against them.”