Staunch rivalry is an understatement with these two Victorian Premier League clubs.
In the semi-final of the season, South Melbourne travels to Knights Stadium for a match with Melbourne Knights tonight.
The match between the two former NSL powerhouses is, for majority of VPL followers, the game not to be missed, as the two sides have not drawn each other in finals since 1997.
After 16 years, the highly-anticipated 88th Melbourne derby will attract a record crowd and will make history.
Three weeks ago the Knights looked unstoppable, but consecutive losses to Oakleigh Cannons and Bentleigh Greens have exposed some of their vulnerabilities.
Last weekend, in what was the Week 1 of the finals, Knights lost 2-4 to Bentleigh Greens, in a high-scoring game that was out of character for the Knights, given their tight defence.
South Melbourne overplayed Green Gully 1-0 when they met in Week 1 of the finals.
The team, as everyone has noticed, has awoken from its hibernation and has gotten its momentum back. Chris Taylor’s boys lost only one of their past nine matches and earned their second clean sheet with a dramatic win against Green Gully in the elimination final.
To qualify for their semi-final match, the South Melbourne squad sealed their position in the 91st minute, with a Tyson Holmes strike eliminating Gully.
Coach Chris Taylor, who is not a stranger to finals as he won last year’s VPL title with Dandenong Thunder, has warned about his side’s defensive revival that hasn’t failed in two consecutive games after struggling to have the sheet clean since Taylor’s mid-season arrival.
The second semi-final will see Northcote City welcome Bentleigh Greens at JL Murphy Reserve, on Saturday at 6.00 pm.
The Greek semi-final derby is expected to showcase some breathtaking football, but only one can secure its place in 2013 VPL Grand Final at AAMI Park.
Northcote City booked its spot in the semi-final two weeks ago, while their opponent Bentleigh Greens played 4-2 with Melbourne Knights in last weekend’s Week 1 of the finals.
The loser from today’s Greek derby will play the winner of Melbourne Knights versus South Melbourne in the preliminary final.
As the President of Bentleigh Greens Kostas Bios told Neos Kosmos, the team entered the 2013 season with one goal – to reach the finals.
“At this point, we are in semi-finals, so we can say that our aim has been achieved halfway.
“I believe that with the squad we have, we can achieve even more. And that will depend on the outcome of Saturday’s game with Northcote City. The ball is round and everything is possible with a bit of luck,” Bios said.
The Hercules Boys are back in the game after a week off and a brilliant record against the Greens, but it won’t have the advantage of a home final with renovations at John Cain Memorial Park moving the match to a neutral venue.
Dean Piemonte is expected to return from injury that will only make Northcote side even stronger, after playing without a midfielder in the past two matches.
On the other side, despite missing some key players Bentleigh Greens has won its past three matches. In the match against the Knights, it created numerous goal chances and tore apart Knights’ tight defence.
The Greens have a list to choose from, with only Luke O’ Dea expected to miss on the semi-finals. John Anastasiadis’ boys will be playing with the yellow-card trio Dane Milovanovic, Thomas Mathews and Wayne Wallace, who will get a one-match suspension if they are cautioned in the finals series.
After Thursday’s training, Club President Kostas Bios confirmed that all players are in good health, with no injuries to disturb the plans of coach Anastasiadis.
“They are ready and looking towards the game with Northcote; it’s our ticket to the finals,” he says.
“I believe the Saturday game will feature some great football, with many supporters to come to cheer their team in this Greek derby.
“May the best team win.”
