Aurelio Vidmar’s Melbourne City squad is gearing up for their second trip to New Zealand in 2025, set to take on Wellington Phoenix at Sky Stadium on Friday evening.
Following a hard-fought Melbourne Derby that once again ended with the points shared, City will be eager to return to winning ways, particularly after recent struggles to secure results away from home.
With the season entering a crucial stage, three points on the road could prove vital in the run to Finals. Here are all the key talking points:
A SHORT WEEK ON THE TRACK
City’s last outing came on Saturday night, where we played out a 2-2 draw with Victory in a dramatic Derby clash.
Marco Tilio struck early to hand City the lead, but Victory responded with goals on either side of halftime to go ahead in the 48th minute. A decisive moment came in the 70th, when captain Aziz Behich won a penalty and Kai Trewin stepped up to calmly convert, securing a share of the spoils.
Head Coach Aurelio Vidmar noted post-match that his squad would have a brief recovery period with two days off before ramping up preparations for the trip to Wellington.
With six days between fixtures and a cross-Tasman journey, City’s depth and recovery will be tested.
Key players such as Mathew Leckie, Andreas Kuen, Marco Tilio, Samuel Souprayen, and Kai Trewin all put in significant shifts in the Derby after recently returning from injury, and their fitness will be closely monitored heading into Friday’s clash.
A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR POINTS ON THE ROAD
After a strong start to the season in interstate fixtures—winning three consecutive games—City’s form outside of Melbourne has dipped in recent weeks.
Our last four interstate trips have yielded just one point, contrasting sharply with an impressive home record that has seen four consecutive wins in home fixtures at AAMI Park.
With four of our next five games to be played at home, a win in Wellington would provide the perfect platform for City to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.
Securing three points on the road will be crucial in keeping the squad’s silverware ambitions on track.
MAINTAINING A STRONG RECORD OVER THE NIX
City boasts an impressive recent record against Wellington, having lost just once in our last 10 A-League Men’s meetings.
However, that sole defeat did come in our last visit away clash back in November 2023—a result City will be determined to avoid repeating.
The most recent fixture between the two sides took place in January, with City securing a comfortable 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Harry Politidis and Nathaniel Atkinson.
On that day, City’s defensive resilience was on full display, limiting the Phoenix to just a single shot for the entire match. Expect a more attacking approach from Wellington this time around as they look to turn the tables on home turf.
FIXTURE DETAILS
A-League Men: Round 21
Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne City FC
Friday 28 February, 5:30pm KO (AEDT)
Sky Stadium
Watch live on Paramount+
