Get ready for the match preview as Western United prepares to face Melbourne City in the first leg of their Semi-Final showdown.
Western United and Melbourne City are set to clash in a two-legged Semi-Final that could go either way, reflecting a closely contested season where they were separated by just one point over 26 games. aleagues.com.au offers an insightful preview of this thrilling final four encounter.
While Western United has shattered their club record for goals this season, there remains a glaring gap in their offensive performance as they head into this weekend’s Semi-Final.
In their two encounters during the 2024-25 season, they failed to find the back of the net against Melbourne City.
As they prepare for the double-header in the last four, John Aloisi’s strategic decisions will come under scrutiny as he seeks to breach a City defence that has conceded the lowest number of goals in the Isuzu UTE A-League this season (26).
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Luckily for Aloisi, he has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal, and which includes Noah Botic, who recently returned to form with a hat-trick in the Elimination Final.
Historically, Western’s struggle to score against Aurelio Vidmar’s side stretches back 337 minutes to Michael Ruhs’ goal in January 2024. It will be intriguing to see if Aloisi opts to retain Ruhs in the starting XI, as he has done for the past four matches in place of Hiroshi Ibusuki.
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“Melbourne City has had the upper hand over Western this season, having won both encounters 2-0 and 1-0. Historically, Western doesn’t score many goals against Melbourne City, and that will certainly play on their minds,” commented former A-Leagues winger Tommy Oar in this week’s episode of Total A-Leagues.
“I expect Melbourne City to dominate possession, while Western United will likely focus on counter-attacking.”
“It will be fascinating to see how they deploy Botic upfront and whether they rotate players like (Hiroshi) Ibusuki, who came off the bench last match, and Michael Ruhs.”
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“Ruhs has performed impressively since joining the starting line-up, adding mobility in transition, which could benefit them.”
“When Melbourne City has appeared vulnerable defensively this season, it was often during transitions. It will be interesting to see approaches from both teams in this opening leg, especially across two matches.”
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This decision becomes crucial for Aloisi amid a solidified starting lineup.
This season, Western’s youthful backbone has proven vital; with Botic, Matt Grimaldi, Rhys Bozinovski, and sensational teenager Dylan Leonard all contributing significantly to their third-place finish and advancement to this Semi-Final.
However, they also benefit from the seasoned presence of midfield anchor Angus Thurgate, steadfast defender Tomoki Imai, revitalised Riku Danzaki, and captain Ben Garuccio.
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On the flip side, Melbourne City’s ability to thrive amid numerous injuries makes their achievements this season commendable.
Having faced significant injuries to players like Steven Ugarkovic, Andreas Kuen, Yonatan Cohen, James Jeggo, Andrew Nabbout, Mathew Leckie, and Marco Tilio for extended periods, the emerging talent from City’s academy has not only filled gaps but has thrived.
Rookies like Medin Memeti, Max Caputo, Lawrence Wong, and Kavian Rahmani have enjoyed standout seasons, while goalkeeper Patrick Beach has been impeccable without missing a single minute.
City rounded off the regular season in style with a resounding 5-1 victory over Sydney FC, entering this tie full of confidence, particularly buoyed by the form of Marco Tilio, the leadership of Aziz Behich, and a robust defensive partnership featuring German Ferreyra and Kai Trewin.
Don’t overlook the X-factor of Mathew Leckie; when fit, he’s arguably the finest player in the Isuzu UTE A-League—especially since transitioning to a midfield role.
“This is going to be an exciting match regardless. The teams are closely matched, and it’s bound to be fascinating,” remarked City legend Thomas Sorensen on A-Leagues Download.
“Their frontline can certainly pose a threat. I believe Ferreira and Trewin have formed a solid partnership, and they possess the best clean sheet record. Beach has been reliable, Leckie is back on the bench, and they have depth.”
“In-form Tilio is a game changer. If Western United can contain him and Kuen, as well as Max Caputo, they’ll definitely have opportunities.”
“There will be some thrilling matchups. It’s going to be a tightly contested series over the two legs.”
When asked who would come out on top, former A-Leagues midfielder Naum Sekulovski expressed, “I’m backing Western United. I think they stand a really strong chance.
“If they can keep their attacking players quiet—Tilio, Kuen, and Max Caputo—they’ll certainly have to create chances.”
Catch Western United as they host Melbourne City in the first leg of the Semi-Final this Friday night at AAMI Park, commencing at 7:35pm AEST. Watch live on Paramount+.
PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THIS SATURDAY’S SEMI-FINAL BETWEEN WESTERN UNITED AND MELBOURNE CITY
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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