Heart pumping while Victory slumping

With five wins from their last six games, including tricky away victories against Perth Glory and Champions Brisbane Roar, the red and white half of Melbourne is currently one of the in-form sides of the Hyundai A-League and will not be happy with anything but three points come Friday night.

OR PERHAPS YOU'RE A VICTORY FAN? READ THIS INSTEAD

After a horrendous start to the season John van't Schip and his squad have changed their fortunes in recent weeks, climbing to third on the ladder with a dubious penalty decision in Central Coast the only stumbling block in the past six rounds. Young stars Mate Dugandzic, Eli Babalj and Aziz Behich are currently in top form along with Matt Thompson and Germano, and all will look to heap further misery on the blue side of Melbourne and look to give under pressure coach Mehmet Durakovic further headaches.

The round three contest between the sides ended in a goalless draw but it was the Heart that created more of the chances and had much more of the possession with Mate Dugandzic causing all sorts of trouble for his former side. His pace and playmaking will therefore will be key if Heart are to steal the points from their noisy neighbours.

With Harry Kewell starting to find his feet, and the continuous danger of Carlos Hernandez and Archie Thompson, the Heart defence cannot afford to fall asleep for even a second.

With the news of AAMI Park being a sell-out for the first time between the two sides, Heart will aim to continue their good form and earn all three points, along with giving their fans something else to cheer about this Christmas.

My Prediction
Melbourne Heart 1 def Melbourne Victory 0 - Eli Babajl to score.

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