A-League Roundup: Melbourne Derby Final Beckons Following Semi-Final Upset

This marks the first occasion in the men’s A-League where longstanding rivals Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory have emerged as the final two teams vying for glory ahead of the league’s climax.

Auckland 0-2 Melbourne Victory (1-2 agg)

In recent years, few A-League clubs seemed more poised for a Premiership-Championship double than Steve Corica’s Auckland FC. Having laid the groundwork with a solid performance in the first leg of the semi-final against Melbourne Victory, they merely needed to extend their eight-match unbeaten streak at home to secure a place in their inaugural Grand Final.

It’s worth noting that the phrases ‘clean sheet’ and ‘Melbourne Victory’ had not been uttered together in eight matches, with Arthur Diles’ side last achieving a shutout back in early March against the struggling Central Coast Mariners.

With all signs pointing towards an Auckland triumph, the Victory outperformed their Kiwi rivals, claiming their first victory in head-to-head encounters. Auckland head coach Steve Corica might describe it as a fortunate turn of events when a 69th-minute header from Logan Rogerson was disallowed by the linesman and the VAR—an event that could have levelled the aggregate score.

“In my view, they got it wrong, and that could have had significant implications for us in getting back into the game and reaching the final,” Corica remarked.

“Such are the massive decisions involved, you’d hope they get them right.“

It’s been an extraordinary six-month journey for Victory’s manager Diles, who had no intentions of taking the reins at the start of the season but was propelled into the position mid-season after Patrick Kisnorbo’s unexpected exit.

Melbourne City 1-1 Western United (4-1 agg)

A stronger sense of inevitability surrounded Melbourne City’s advance to the Grand Final after their impressive 3-0 victory at the same venue last week, effectively securing their place.

In a remarkable turn of events for the competition, the conclusion of the 2024/25 season will not only feature an all-Melbourne derby but will also take place on a weekend devoid of AFL or NRL matches competing for A-League attendance.

“This is the best possible outcome for the A-League and Australian football as a whole,” stated Melbourne City striker Max Caputo.

“Hosting a Melbourne derby in a Grand Final brings fans in … there’s certainly nothing bigger at stake than this.“

For Western United, clinching a trophy would have provided a much-needed distraction from escalating off-field issues that have resulted in a FIFA transfer ban and breach notifications from Professional Footballers Australia due to late payments to both their men’s and women’s squads.

Goal of the Week: Semi-Final Second Legs

While it’s true that Aloisi’s men allowed the City players plenty of freedom during this sequence, the play was still captivating to observe.

Aziz Behich had the ball fall perfectly for him, a reward for his swift run down the left during the build-up. Watch closely where he begins at the start of the clip; it’s clear he deserved that chance to score!