Melbourne City will attempt to end a peculiar hoodoo when they host Wellington Phoenix in Round 4 of the Hyundai A-League.
And there are bizarre stats all over the place, with Kevin Muscat out to continue his hold over the Central Coast Mariners in Melbourne and the most dangerous partnership in the Hyundai A-League so far this season is revealed.
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Perth Glory will be happy if history repeats as they travel to Adelaide United, while John Aloisi is hopeful a new away venue provides a change of fortunes on the road.
Read on for your stats preview for all five Hyundai A-League Round 4 fixtures!
Friday night lights not good for City
A 3-0 home defeat to Sydney FC last time out was a bitter pill to swallow for Melbourne City for many reasons.
And one of the more curious ones was that the result continued City’s poor record in Friday night fixtures.
In the club’s last nine matches on a Friday, they have lost seven and won just one.
The bizarre statistic comes despite City qualifying for the Hyundai A-League Finals in each of the past four seasons.
The spotlight also impacts City’s ability to score, with the club scoring multiple goals in just one of their last nine Friday matches.
It is a record City will be desperate to end in front of their home supporters.
Melbourne City v Wellington Phoenix, Friday 7.50pm (AEDT)
John Aloisi’s on-the-road headache
It is now more than 11 months since the Brisbane Roar kept a clean sheet on their Hyundai A-League travels.
The Roar have conceded in their last 10 away fixtures and are now just one match from an unwanted club record.
Brisbane have never gone 11 Hyundai A-League away fixtures without a clean sheet and go to the unfamiliar surroundings of Mudgee on Saturday.
Impressively, the Roar have actually won five of those 10 road matches, four by a 2-1 scoreline. They also beat Perth Glory 3-2 at nib Stadium in April.
This time out they will come up against the most dangerous tandem in this Hyundai A-League season so far.
Wanderers' duo Alex Baumjohann and Oriol Riera have been enjoining a league-topping connection through the first three rounds, with the German teeing up the Spaniard for six scoring opportunities.
Western Sydney Wanderers v Brisbane Roar, Saturday 5.35pm (AEDT)
Why Sydney FC will be confident
Newcastle Jets may have won their last Hyundai A-League clash against Sydney FC - a 2-1 triumph in March - but it was a long time coming.
The Sky Blues headed into that clash with a 15-match unbeaten run against Newcastle, an incredible record of dominance.
Included in that streak were 12 victories, of which six came at McDonald Jones Stadium, meaning the venue holds no fear for Steve Corica’s men.
Sydney FC have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven at the venue, too, while the last time they were goalless in Newcastle was in September 2008.
Newcastle Jets v Sydney FC, Saturday 7.50pm (AEDT)
Glory proving reliable in front of goal
Much was made of Perth Glory’s defensive acquisitions in the off-season but it is the club’s forwards who continue to pave the way for success.
The Glory have now scored at least one goal in each of their last 15 matches in the Hyundai A-League, an impressive streak that should give Perth fans confidence ahead of a tricky trip to Adelaide.
Only once in Perth’s Hyundai A-League history have they gone on a better run in front of goal, scoring in 18 consecutive matches from December 2015 to April 2016.
No doubt helping this record is Perth’s willingness to take a shot at goal.
The Glory have produced 16 shots on target so far in the 2018/19 Season, the joint-most of any team in the competition.
They have also scored a league-high six goals.
Adelaide United v Perth Glory, Sunday 5.00pm (AEDT)
Muscat’s hold over the Mariners
Kevin Muscat took on the top job at Melbourne Victory more than five years ago but the Central Coast Mariners have still never beaten one of his sides.
The incredible streak runs to 15 Hyundai A-League matches, with Victory winning 11 of them.
And there have been some hidings in the process, with Victory scoring three or more goals in eight of those 15 clashes.
Central Coast visit Melbourne with just one win from their last 19 Hyundai A-League away fixtures, too.
But maybe Mike Mulvey’s side can take heart from another odd statistic - that being the last five A-League clashes involving Victory have been won by the away side.
Melbourne Victory v Central Coast Mariners, Sunday 7.00pm (AEDT)
