The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the sporting calendar, but the show goes on in the A-League as Newcastle Jets host Melbourne City in a behind-closed-doors match at McDonald Jones Stadium on Monday.
Melbourne are sitting pretty in second place as the season edges to its conclusion, while the Jets still have an outside chance of reaching the A-League finals.
Match preview
The A-League schedule has been heavily altered in wake of the COVID-19 crisis, meaning a quick turnaround in matches for City and the Jets.
Melbourne beat Central Coast Mariners 4-2 on Friday to move four points clear of third-placed Wellington Phoenix, who have two games in hand still to play.
Jamie Maclaren bagged a hat-trick at Central Coast Stadium to move to 18 goals for the season, edging him one in front of Sydney FC's Adam Le Fondre at the top of the scoring charts.
The Jets head into this game on the back of a 1-0 loss at Brisbane Roar, meanwhile, with Scott McDonald scoring the only goal of the game on the Gold Coast.
That put an end to Newcastle's six-match unbeaten streak, including back-to-back victories over Perth Glory and Adelaide United to just about remain in contention to reach the end-of-season finals.
It also marked a first defeat for new boss Carl Robinson, and his side are now down in ninth and in desperate need of victory on Monday to keep their campaign alive.
This is a fixture City tend to do well in, having won five of their last six meetings with the Jets, most recently winning 2-0 when the sides met in mid-January.
Erick Mombaerts's side are unbeaten in their last four league games and have lost one of their last six since the beginning of February.
With a finals berth all but sewn up, the visitors will now be looking to keep their momentum going for as long as the football remains on Down Under.
Newcastle Jets' A-League form: WDDWWL
Melbourne City's A-League form: WLWWDW
Team News
© Reuters
Melbourne remain without defenders Richard Windbichler and Jack Hendry, who are struggling with hamstring and knee injuries respectively.
Nathaniel Atkinson is one yellow card away from incurring an automatic ban, but he is unlikely to sit this one out.
As for the Jets, Ben Kantarovski and Lachlan Jackson are expected to miss the rest of the campaign through injury.
Wales international Joe Ledley has had to settle for a place on the bench since arriving last month, though he could be in line for a first start on Monday.
Newcastle Jets possible starting lineup:
Italiano; Koutroumbis, Boogaard, Topor-Stanley; Millar, Ugarkovic, Thurgate, Burns; Hoolahan, O'Donovan, Petratos
Melbourne City possible starting lineup:
Glover; Atkinson, Griffiths, Good, Jamieson; Luna, Brillante, Berenguer; Susaeta, MacLaren, Noone
We say: Newcastle Jets 1-3 Melbourne City
Newcastle Jets' six-match unbeaten streak was ended on Friday and their playoff hopes appear to be all but over as a result. Melbourne enter this game in good form, meanwhile, and look good value to add three more points to the board on Monday.
Daniel Lewis
