Riding high on the momentum of back-to-back wins, Melbourne City will begin an extended away trip when we travel north to face Brisbane Roar on Friday night.
Aurelio Vidmar’s side comes into the clash full of confidence after a strong start to the 2025/26 campaign, remaining undefeated across all competitions over the past fortnight.
Having followed up a midweek AFC Champions League Elite win with an emphatic 4–0 home victory over Perth Glory, City will now look to keep that momentum rolling against a rejuvenated Roar outfit at Suncorp Stadium.
A long road trip ahead
City is set to embark on one of its longest stretches away from home this season, with Friday night’s fixture in Brisbane marking the first of two games on the road.
Following the Roar clash, Vidmar’s men will fly directly to Japan to resume AFC Champions League Elite commitments against Machida Zelvia next Tuesday night, meaning the team will spend close to a week on the road across two major competitions.
After navigating a demanding stretch of three matches in seven days – which yielded two wins and a draw – City will have welcomed the slightly longer six-day turnaround heading into Friday’s encounter.
The hosts, meanwhile, have made a mixed start to their ALM campaign under new Head Coach Michael Valkanis.
Brisbane opened their season with a gritty 1–0 win over Macarthur FC, but fell to a late comeback against Wellington Phoenix last weekend. Back in front of their home fans, the Roar will be determined to respond, setting up an exciting battle under the Suncorp lights.
A long-awaited return
City has received a major boost ahead of Friday night’s clash, with Andrew Nabbout named in the extended squad and in line to make his long-awaited return from injury.
Should he feature, it will mark his first appearance in almost exactly 12 months after suffering an ACL injury early last season. The setback came at a cruel time for the experienced winger, who had made a strong start to the campaign with three goals in four games.
After completing his rehabilitation and building back to full fitness, Nabbout now looks ready to make his mark once again.
His return adds a valuable injection of experience, energy and leadership to City’s front line as Aurelio Vidmar’s side looks to extend its unbeaten start to the league campaign.
With Elbasan Rashani ruled out for the next month due to a hamstring injury, the return of Nabbout comes at an ideal time as City looks to maintain its attacking edge heading into a busy run of fixtures.
Continuing the scoring form
After a slow start in front of goal through the opening early of the campaign, City has rediscovered its scoring touch in emphatic fashion.
Across the last two fixtures, Vidmar’s side has found the net six times – four of those coming in Saturday’s dominant 4–0 win over Perth Glory at AAMI Park. Leading the line has been 20-year-old striker Max Caputo, who continues to impress with his poise and finishing ability.
Caputo has now scored four goals in his last three appearances for City, and when factoring in his brace at the FIFA U20 World Cup, the young striker has netted six in his last four outings for club and country.
He hasn’t been the only youngster making headlines, with Zane Schreiber and Kavian Rahmani both scoring their first A-League goals last weekend – each with stunning long-range efforts.
Their emergence has added even more excitement to a City attack that appears to be growing stronger with every passing game.
Fixture Details
Isuzu UTE A-League: Round 3
Brisbane Roar v Melbourne City FC
Friday 31 October, 7:35pm KO (AEDT)
Suncorp Stadium
Watch live on Paramount+
