Melbourne Victory Celebrates 20 Years with Victory as Wellington’s Unlucky Streak Continues

Melbourne Victory celebrated a return to form by securing a valuable 1-0 victory over Wellington Phoenix in a closely contested match at AAMI Park, adding to the Phoenix’s woes in the Isuzu UTE A-League.

The decisive moment came in the 57th minute, when Greek striker Nikos Vergos scored with a header, lifting Victory’s spirits after their unexpected loss to Newcastle Jets in the previous fixture.

On a night when Victory commemorated their two-decade milestone, Wellington’s winless streak in Melbourne extended to 23 matches, with their last triumph in the city dating back to 2017.

With this victory, last season’s Grand Finalists, Melbourne Victory, ascended to third place on the ladder, while the Phoenix languished in 10th, trailing six points behind the top six.

The Phoenix made their way to Melbourne determined to break their winless streak, having not triumphed in the state for 22 matches and securing just three victories in 38 trips to AAMI Park.

Prior to the match, head coach Giancarlo Italiano quipped about the Phoenix’s struggles, saying, “I don’t know if it’s the dimensions of the pitch. I don’t know if they poison our water when we go there; I don’t know what it is, but it’s going to be a big game.”

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On the pitch, Victory struggled to break free from the Phoenix’s pressure during a challenging first half, with opportunities at a premium.

Arthur Diles opted for a change at halftime, introducing Santos and Daniel Arzani to replace Nishan Velupillay and Reno Piscopo.

The substitutions paid off right away, as Santos assisted Vergos for the match’s only goal in the 57th minute. As rain poured down, the Brazilian found Vergos, who nodded the ball into the net.

This goal severely impacted Wellington’s hopes on the road, although they nearly found an equaliser with 20 minutes to go.

Despite not registering a shot on target throughout the match, Kosta Barbarouses had a chance to score from a delightful cross by Tim Payne, but Victory’s goalkeeper Mitch Langerak bravely denied the attempt.

In stoppage time, Victory had two more chances to secure the win, but they were unable to convert either. Nonetheless, they managed to secure all three points by holding on until the final whistle.