Saturday’s first A-League Round 26 match is between Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory. The opening kick-off is set to commence at 5.30pm AEDT. with the game to be played at Hunter Stadium. The home team Newcastle Jets are the favourites for the match. View our live scores and teams for the game between Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory.

Round: Round 26, Saturday April 5 at 5.30pm AEDT.
Stadium: Hunter Stadium
Head to head: Played: 30, Wins: Jets 13, Victory 11, Draws: 6
Previous encounter: Jets 1-1 Victory, January 10 2014

Odds Comparison:

Newcastle Jets	2.20	2.20	2.20	2.20	2.20	2.20
Draw	3.40	3.40	3.35	3.40	3.40	3.40
Melbourne Victory	3.15	3.15	3.05	3.15	3.15	3.00

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

Preview:

This match kicks off at 5.30PM on Saturday at Hunter Stadium.  The Jets are currently sitting in 7th ladder position, a precarious place to be at this time of the season.  The Melbourne Victory are a little more comfortable in 5th place, level on points with Adelaide United, one point behind third-placed Western Sydney, and two back from Central Coast.

The Victory are still in with a chance to finish in second position, but they are not the only side with such lofty aspirations.  The Victory are likely to get Tom Rogic, Mark Milligan, Adama Traor, and Nick Ansell back for this game, while the Jets will be without Zenon Caravella, who is out for the rest of the season due injury.  One big question this week will be whether the Jets can recover after their heartbreaking loss to the Perth Glory last round.

Teams:

Newcastle Jets squad:
1.Mark BIRIGHITTI (gk), 4.Kew JALIENS, 5.Ben KANTAROVSKI, 7.Andrew HOOLE, 8.Ruben ZADKOVICH (c), 9.Emile HESKEY, 11.Craig GOODWIN, 14.Josh MITCHELL, 15.Josh BRILLANTE, 16.Jacob PEPPER, 19.Michael BRIDGES, 21.Sam GALLAWAY, 20.Ben KENNEDY (gk), 22.Adam TAGGART, 23.David CARNEY, 24.Mitch OXBORROW, 27.Nick WARD, 29.Joel GRIFFITHS
**Two to be omitted**
Ins: 7.Andrew HOOLE (promoted), 16. Jacob PEPPER (promoted), 27.Nick WARD (promoted)
Outs: Zenon CARAVELLA (knee injury – four to six weeks)
Unavailable: 2.Scott NEVILLE (knee injury – long term) 25.Mitch COOPER (knee injury – long term)

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

News:

Melbourne Victory have it all to do if they are to progress in the AFC Champions League after giving up an early lead to lose 3-2 away to Yokohama F Marinos on Wednesday.

Kevin Muscat’s side opened the scoring through James Troisi’s penalty, but fell behind by half-time after conceding soft goals to Sho Ito and Kosuke Nakamachi, with Shingo Hyodo appearing to put the game to bed when he netted in the 89th minute. Jimmy Jeggo got one back for the visitors in injury time, but it arrived too late for Australian side to mount a comeback.

The result sees Marinos join Victory on four points in Group G of the competition. Leaders Guangzhou Evergrande went down 1-0 away to second-placed Jeonbuk Motors earlier in the night, with those teams now level on seven points.

Victory, weakened considerably by their numerous absentees, might have anticipated finding themselves under pressure early in the game against a Marinos side badly in need of all three points.

Instead it was the visitors who started strongly, enjoying plenty of possession and then earning a penalty in the fifth minute when Hyodo tugged back Jason Geria inside the area. Troisi’s well-taken spot-kick left goalkeeper Testsuya Enomoto with no chance.

In the 21st minute, despite previously only threatening intermittently, Marinos equalised in unusual circumstances. A hopeful long delivery forward saw the ball bounce off Leigh Broxham’s back and fall kindly to Ito. Lawrence Thomas had come out to clear the danger, but the unexpected contact caused him to falter, allowing Ito to lift an exquisite chip over the stranded goalkeeper and into the unguarded net.

Six minutes later the hosts were ahead, and had a Thomas error to thank for the goal. The Victory custodian fumbled a high, whipped cross, forcing Broxham to try and clear the ball with an overhead kick. His attempt only got as far as Nakamachi inside the area, and the forward made no mistake in smashing home a fierce shot at the near post to make it 2-1.

Marinos dominated from the outset of the second half and should have had a penalty of their own two minutes before the hour mark. Geria gifted possession to Shunsuke Nakamura in a dangerous area and the former Celtic man wasted no time bursting into the area. His side-step left Adrian Leijer on the floor, before Leigh Broxham arrived to bundle over the former Japan international.

Appeals from Marinos players were waved away, but the incident sparked a flurry of openings for the home side.

On 61 minutes Jungo Fujimoto’s cutback from the byline found Nakamura inside the area. This time a step over and burst of acceleration saw him tear away from both Leijer and Broxham, only for his shot to end up in the side-netting just outside the near post.

Two minutes later Nakamura, winding back the clock in a vintage performance, was involved again. His inviting corner reached Hyodo, whose shot struck the ground and sat up awkwardly, with Thomas required to tip the ball over the bar.

Still the chances continued to arrive, with Nakamura troubling Thomas from a long-range free-kick and finding himself at the heart of the Marinos’ slick attacking football.

He went close again in the 85th minute, a carefully weighted lob attempt to the back post drawing a good save from Thomas.

In the last minute of normal time Archie Thompson went close to equalising, with his effort at the back post blocked by Enomoto and then scrambled clear.

Marinos’ subsequent counter-attack saw Hyodo find himself in plenty of space on the edge of the Victory penalty area, and his opportunistic finish was well beyond the grasp of Thomas.

Not to be outdone in the counter-attacking stakes, the away side went straight up the other end and scored, Andrew Nabbout supplying the pass and Jeggo sneaking the ball beyond the onrushing goalkeeper.

There was no time to go in search of a third though, and Victory must now aim to beat defending champions Evergrande at Etihad Stadium on April 15 if they are revive their hopes of progressing to the round of 16.

Source: www.footballaustralia.com.au