Arzani Inspires Victory to Final Four as Wanderers’ Finals Drought Extends to 3,303 Days

Melbourne Victory has secured a place in the Semi-Finals of the Isuzu UTE A-League after claiming a 2-1 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers at CommBank Stadium on Saturday night.

Finishing fifth in the regular season, Victory faced the fourth-placed Wanderers and shocked the crowd of 16,399 with an early goal in the seventh minute. The opener was orchestrated by Daniel Arzani and expertly finished by Kasey Bos.

The home side equalised in the first half through Zac Sapsford, but Zinedine Machach quickly put Victory back in front just before the break, scoring what turned out to be the decisive goal.

Arzani was again influential, showcasing his skill with a run down the left wing, delivering a cutback for Machach to strike in the box, sending Arthur Diles’ team into the Semi-Finals. There, they’ll face Premiers Auckland FC in a two-legged tie.

For Western Sydney, the defeat ended a commendable 12-match unbeaten streak. A win would have tied the club’s all-time unbeaten record at 13 games, but the Wanderers now find themselves without a Finals Series victory since April 24, 2016—an agonising 3,303 days ago.

Victory’s advancement solidifies the final four teams vying for the 2025 Championship title. While Victory readies for their duel with Auckland, Melbourne City will go head-to-head with Western United in the other Semi-Final bracket, with both two-legged ties determining the Grand Finalists for this season.

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Victory sent an early message to the Wanderers, with Machach nearly opening the score if not for a decisive lunge from Alex Gersbach.

Yet just minutes in, Arzani slipped a perfectly weighted pass to Bos, who made no mistake, slotting the ball past Lawrence Thomas and putting the visitors ahead at CommBank Stadium.

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Victory held the lead until the 23rd minute when Brandon Borrello and Sapsford combined for a brilliant equaliser. The sequence began with an incisive pass from Anthony Pantazopoulos that cut through Victory’s defence to reach Borrello.

Borrello’s first touch was exceptional, and his subsequent pass found Sapsford, who made no mistake in bringing Western Sydney back into the match, energising the home crowd.

In his 100th appearance in the Isuzu UTE A-League, Arzani showed he was up for the challenge, setting the stage for Victory’s second goal just before half-time. After drifting to the left flank, he skillfully bypassed two Wanderers defenders and sent a cutback to Ryan Teague; his blocked shot fell to Machach, who executed a quick volley, threading the ball between two defenders to restore Victory’s lead.

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After a frenetic first half, opportunities became scarce in the second. It wasn’t until the 71st minute that the Wanderers managed to direct a shot on goal, with Nicolas Milanovic finally testing Jack Duncan with a well-placed effort from a left-wing cross.

A golden opportunity followed for substitute Juan Mata, but in a moment of despair for Western Sydney fans, the former World Cup winner volleyed over when it seemed certain he would find the net from close range.

This miss proved a crushing setback for the Wanderers’ hopes of snatching a late equaliser.