Melbourne City continued their pre-season preparations with a well-fought 0-0 draw against New Zealand outfit Auckland FC at the City Football Academy in Casey Fields on a blustery Friday afternoon.
In testing conditions where strong winds made it difficult for either side to find rhythm, Aurelio Vidmar’s men still produced a promising performance, controlling long periods of possession and giving valuable minutes to several young players ahead of the new A-League Men season.
Team News
Aurelio Vidmar named a strong starting line-up to face Auckland, with Mathew Leckie returning from injury and Elbasan Rashani named in the XI.
In an exciting front three, Kavian Rahmani was named up top with young gun Beckham Baker and Rashani on either side of him.
Leckie was joined in the middle three by Kai Trewin and Takeshi Kanamori, while the back four was unchanged from the team who faced Vissel Kobe.
Starting XI: 1. Patrick BEACH (GK), 36. Harry SHILLINGTON, 22. Germán FERREYRA, 26. Samuel SOUPRAYEN, 16. Aziz BEHICH (C), 27. Kai TREWIN, 7. Mathew LECKIE, 38. Beckham BAKER, 47. Kavian RAHMANI, 10. Takeshi KANAMORI, 11. Elbasan RASHANI.
Substitutes: 33. Dakota OCHSENHAM, 17. Max CAPUTO, 20. Benjamin MAZZEO, 34. Jayden NECOVSKI, 44. Besian KUTLESHI, 45. Ryan KALMS, 53. Angus MACKINTOSH.
What happened?
City started brightly despite the swirling wind that made passing and long balls unpredictable. The first half saw both sides trade early attacking moves, with City’s pressing setting the tone and pressuring Auckland from playing out the back.
Young winger Beckham Baker was a constant threat on the right, showing quick feet and drawing fouls as he looked to combine with Kavian Rahmani in the final third. Their link-up nearly paid off in the 16th minute, when Baker weaved through defenders and forced a shot straight at the Auckland goalkeeper.
City grew in confidence as the half progressed. Elbasan Rashani proved an effective outlet down the left, while Kai Trewin and Aziz Behich combined neatly with him to deliver several dangerous balls into the box. The best chance came in the 34th minute when Behich’s curling free kick found Trewin’s head, but the effort sailed just over the bar.
City continued to control possession, with Germán Ferreyra and Samuel Souprayen displaying composure in defence to play through Auckland’s press.
After a lively first half, a series of changes at the break brought fresh energy to the side. Emin Durakovic, Zane Schreiber, Liam Bonetig and Pete Antoniou were among those to enter, maintaining City’s attacking intent despite the wind intensifying.
Midway through the second half, Baker and Durakovic combined for a clever one-two that forced another save, while substitute Mazzeo laid the ball into Schreiber who forced a shot shortly after a corner in the 64th minute.
In the closing stages, City pushed for a late winner, but the gusty conditions and adequate Auckland defending meant the match finished goalless.
While the scoreline remained 0-0, it was a productive hit-out and another encouraging step toward full match sharpness.
What’s next?
Attention now turns to our A-League Men’s opener where we’ll take on Western Sydney Wanderers in Round 1 on Saturday 18 October, before back-to-back home games.
Matchday 3 of the AFC Champions League Elite awaits as we host Buriram United FC on Tuesday 21 October, before our A-League Men’s home opener against Perth Glory on Saturday 25 Oct 2025, 5:00pm.
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