MELBOURNE VICTORY 0 ADELAIDE UNITED 0


45 mins - Bru is still warming up on the sidelines but Milligan is moving freely after his knee concern earlier. Good news for the Victory and the Socceroos.


43 mins - Big miss from Neumann! A ball through from Watson put the Argentine through on goal but his side-foot finish as Velaphi advanced went wide of the left-hand post! A lucky escape for the Victory.


39 mins - Adelaide's best spell of the game...a ball went through the penalty area without a touch and the Reds retained possession. Neumann was then teed up with a central through ball and his first-time shot forced a good save from Velaphi!


35 mins - Free kick to Victory wide on the right...again Adelaide can't clear it completely and Celeski is able to tee off from the top of the area...he sends his shot high over the bar.


33 mins - Adelaide corner...Velaphi can't get a run at the ball and has to punch it out of the teeth of goal! Victory clear the spill.


31 mins - TV replays suggest Milligan injured himself after planting awkardly after he fouled Watson on the right touchline. Jonathan Bru is warming up.


30 mins - Mark Milligan has stayed down with what looks like a right knee injury...after assessment on the field the Socceroo has limped to the sidelines in some distress.


29 mins - Clumsy foul from Watson who put his foot on the thigh of Rojas...but the referee blows a foul only and decides not to issue a yellow


26 mins - Vidosic left a foot in on Velaphi as the Victory keeper wound up a clearing kick...and made contact. Velaphi appears unhurt but Vidosic gets a yellow for the late contact.


25 mins - Corner to Adelaide...cleared by the first head from the Victory defence.


20 mins - Rojas and Flores combine on the right and the final pass skids through the penalty area! Thompson couldn't make decisive contact and even if he had knocked it in, the offside flag was up.


20 mins - Cassio tries to curl it on his left...but he can't keep it down.


18 mins - A hopeful ball broke kindly for Vidosic to run onto...three Victory defenders converged just outside the area and Vidosic got his heels clipped! The Adelaide bench wants a card but it will be a free kick only about five meters from the top of the area. Franjic gave away the foul.


17 mins - Adelaide really struggling to create...Cassio runs into the attacking half but doesn't like any of his options and ultimatley hits a pass straight to the Victory backline.


13 mins - Foschini exchanged passes on the right with Finlker and sent a cross into the area...Golec stuck out a foot and the deflection could have gone anywhere! It fell kindly for Adelaide. Melbourne are doing all the attacking at the moment.


11 mins - Rojas got clear on the right to swing in a cross for Thompson...but he couldn't make his ground to meet the ball and it slides through the penalty area.


10 mins - The game is really yet to get going...pace has been very casual with a lot of players walking when the ball goes out of play or a foul is called with no ergency to get things going.


8 mins - Flores was getting booed by the Adelaide fans...he responded by going around Malik with ease and running into the area...he went down as Cassio passed him and the referee said a yellow for diving! Flores goes into the book and continues to draw the ire of the 200-odd travelling Adelaide fans.


6 mins - A good passing exchange from Finkler and Thompson down the left side ends with Thompson's attempted cross earning aother corner...Adelaide can't scramble it clear but Celeski's shot from outside the area curls high and wide.


4 mins - Another corner for the Victory...Leijer rose highest in the pack but his header lacked power and was held on the half-volley by Galekovic.


2 mins - Chance for Victory with Milligan volleying over! Victory won a corner and Adelaide failed to clear, Milligan tried to chest to his advantage then volley with back to goal but couldn't keep it down.


KICK-OFF


Adelaide get the match started attacking the Lockett End or right of screen. Victory will attack the Coventry End.


Tonight's referee is Peter Green with assistants Hakan Anaz and Patrick Chaplin.


7.30pm - PRE MATCH


Teams are walking out of the tunnel to what would have tobe considered an underhwelming crowd of about 20,000 at Etihad Stadium. So can the Reds remain perfect or will Victory claim its first points of the season? Leave a comment at any time during tonight's live blog.


7.25pm - PRE MATCH


Both teams have finished warming up and are back down to the rooms for the final team talk. The roof is open at Etihad and the weather is a warm 19 degrees.


7.15pm - PRE MATCH


Both teams are warming up out on the ground. The crowd has built to about 20,000 at Etihad Stadium. Speculation pre-match is about how Jonathan Bru's relegation to the bench will change the Victory midfield.


7PM - PRE MATCH


Teams are in for tonight's clash with Melbourne swtiching goalkeepers and also benching Jonathan Bru.


MELBOURNE VICTORY: 1 VELAPHI Tando, 2 FOSCHINI Matthew, 3 TRAORE Adama, 4 FRANJIC Petar, 5 MILLIGAN Mark, 7 FINKLER Gui, 9 FLORES Marcos, 10 THOMPSON Archie, 11 ROJAS Marco, 14 CELESKI Billy, 23 LEIJER Adrian


Bench: 8 BRU Jonathan, 16 MARKELIS Theo, 17 JEGGO James, 20 THOMAS Lawrence


ADELAIDE UNITED: 1 GALEKOVIC Eugene, 2 MALIK Osama, 3 BOOGAARD Nigel, 6 CASSIO, 10 VIDOSIC Dario, 12 GOLEC Anthony, 14 WATSON Cameron, 16 BOWLES Daniel, 17 RAMSAY Iain, 21 NEUMANN Jeronimo, 22 FERREIRA Fabio


Bench: 5 FYFE Iain, 8 CARRUSCA Marcelo, 19 BARKER-DAISH Jake, 30 HALL John


Melbourne Victory has had a forgettable start to the 2012/13 A-League and comes up against old foe Adelaide United in the first match of week three of the A-League season.


Already the Victory has lost two matches and slumped to a 5-0 defeat against Brisbane Roar last weekend. In contrast, Adelaide tops the table and boasts a perfect record with six points gained from two matches.


Follow our live blog of Friday night's critical clash at Etihad Stadium from 7pm.