To see Sydney train today...

To see Victory train...

"I think right now, Melbourne is a better team than Sydney," Raul Blanco, the former Socceroo and Olyoo coach and current assistant to Ricki Herbert's All-Whites, told au.fourfourtwo.com.

"And playing at home in front of such a wonderful crowd they should be the favourite for the game."

He added that the systems and formations of the respective teams shouldn't need to change dramatically. Belief in what got the team to the grand final is important, he said.

"Both coaches have to believe in what you do," he said. "Obviously they will take care of some of the strengths of their opposition, but all in all they should concentrate on what they do best and impose their tactical intelligence on the opposition.

"I doubt either side will play differently to suit the occasion. They will have belief in the systems that got them there in the first place.

"As a Sydney man I think you know who my preference is, and this season they found a way to have success against Melbourne, but this is a grand final.

"And Archie Thompson is back to his best, and with a rest last weekend, they are the team to beat."

The veteran coach said the crowd will be a 12th man and predicted Victory to win but was tightlipped on the final result. "My crystal ball is broken," he joked.

Former Melbourne Victory midfielder Joe Keenan is, perhaps unsurprisingly, also tipping his old club.

"The stadium will be full and there'll be a couple of key players coming back at the right time," said Keenan. "Archie Thompson, who I think is going to be fit, is just very important for them.

"He's always asking questions of defenders, playing off the shoulder, and even if they do get a lot of offsides, they just need one and they're in.

"Having him back will just be the difference between the two teams."

However Keenan noted the problems that Sydney's "Killer Bs" - strikers Mark Bridge and Alex Brosque - can wreak but he predicted a high-scoring encounter with Victory prevailing 3-2 in extra time.

He added: "I don't think history affects these things in terms of results earlier in the season. It's who turns up on the day. It's a clean slate.

"Sydney are a great team but hopefully Melbourne will get a good result."

To see Sydney train today...

To see Victory train...