Melbourne City’s young guns shone brightly once again in a second 2-0 home victory within four days to kick off 2025 in style.
As he did on Friday, Harry Politidis opened the scoring before Ben Mazzeo netted his first goal of the season in the second half, sealing an impressive win over Western United.
Team News
Despite the quick turnaround, Aurelio Vidmar made just one forced change to his starting lineup.
The inclusion came as a pleasant surprise, with 17-year-old midfielder Lawrence Wong handed his A-League debut in place of the injured Andreas Kuen.
Starting XI: 33. Patrick BEACH (GK), 2. Callum TALBOT, 27. Kai TREWIN, 26. Samuel SOUPRAYEN, 16. Aziz BEHICH (C), 6. Steven UGARKOVIC, 13. Nathaniel ATKINSON, 41. Lawrence WONG, 46. Ben MAZZEO, 38. Harry POLITIDIS, 20. Arion SULEMANI.
Substitutes: 1. Jamie YOUNG (GK), 19. Zane SCHREIBER, 22. Germán FERREYRA, 35. Medin MEMETI, 42. Ben DUNBAR, 47. Kavian RAHMANI, 50. Mikey GHOSSAINI.
What happened?
Making his A-League debut, Wong showed no hesitation in getting involved early, with some tidy touches as City pushed for an opener.
Captain Aziz Behich also set the tone with his energetic runs and defensive drive.
A heavy touch in Western United’s backline created a golden chance for Wong, but his dream debut goal was denied by a diving save from Matt Sutton.
Up the other end, Patrick Beach showcased his sharp reflexes in the 14th minute, parrying a dangerous Matthew Grimaldi cross to prevent the visitors from capitalising.
The breakthrough came just after the half-hour mark, sparked by Wong’s pinpoint corner delivery. Ben Mazzeo’s powerful header ricocheted off the upright, landing perfectly for Politidis, who nodded home from close range to make it 1-0.
Moments later, Politidis turned provider with a dangerous cross into the box, but Mazzeo’s back-post effort sailed over the bar.
As half-time approached, Beach pulled off a stunning double save to deny Grimaldi and Angus Thurgate in quick succession, though the offside flag rendered the latter effort moot.
City picked up where we left off after the break, Nathaniel Atkinson forcing another solid save from Sutton with a powerful long-range strike.
The second goal came just before the hour mark, courtesy of relentless City pressing.
Politidis intercepted the ball, deflecting it into the path of Arion Sulemani. The young striker cleverly held up play, allowing Mazzeo to continue his run before threading a pass through. Mazzeo made no mistake, rifling his shot into the roof of the net to double the lead.
Substitute Germán Ferreyra nearly added a third, reacting to a Kai Trewin header from a set piece. However, after Sutton’s initial save, Ferreyra couldn’t adjust in time to turn the rebound goalward.
With an even younger lineup seeing out the final stages, City managed the game professionally to secure another three points and move into second on the table.
What’s next?
The busy schedule continues as City prepares to return to AAMI Park for a massive doubleheader against Brisbane Roar. Click here to get your tickets!
