Melbourne City slumped to our second defeat of the A-League Men’s season on Saturday night against Western Sydney Wanderers.
Playing our first game in almost three weeks, the signs of rust were evident as City created a number of chances but couldn’t find the clinical edge to put them away.
Team News
Despite the long break between games, Aurelio Vidmar didn’t see any need for wholesale changes after a strong win last time out.
Captain Aziz Behich was the sole inclusion to the XI after serving a two-match suspension, meaning Harry Politidis moved to the bench.
Starting XI: 33. Patrick BEACH (GK), 22. Callum TALBOT, 27. Kai TREWIN, 26. Samuel SOUPRAYEN, 16. Aziz BEHICH (C), 19. Zane SCHREIBER, 6. Steven UGARKOVIC, 30. Andreas KUEN, 10. Yonatan COHEN, 13. Nathaniel ATKINSON, 35. Medin MEMETI.
Substitutes: 1. Jamie YOUNG (GK), 8. Jimmy JEGGO, 20. Arion SULEMANI, 22. Germán FERREYRA, 38. Harry POLITIDIS, 42. Ben DUNBAR, 47. Kavian RAHMANI.
What happened?
We didn’t need long to build into the clash with two fantastic chances to open scoring coming within seconds of each other in just the third minute.
Medin Memeti hooked an effort goalward from a tight angle after a Yonatan Cohen corner, which Wanderers goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas just got a palm to while already on the deck.
It would only fall into the path of Andreas Kuen who looked almost certain to score in a second consecutive game, but a block from Anthony Pantazopoulos took just enough heat off the effort for Thomas to again parry it out.
Cohen went close himself in the 14th minute but wasn’t quite able to get the curl required on his effort to find the far corner.
The contest entered a holding pattern for the next 20 minutes as both teams traded spells of possession before two Socceroos had great chances to open the scoring.
Nathaniel Atkinson first blazed over the bar, before Brandon Borello went down the other end and did the same just moments later.
As we ticked towards stoppage time Callum Talbot won the ball off Nicolas Milanovic before a heavy collision between the two, the referee then pointing to the spot with surprisingly no VAR intervention.
Milanovic sent Patrick Beach the wrong way, ensuring the visitors would take the lead into halftime.
Other than the odd moment here or there, the second half entirely belonged to City as the Wanderers were pinned deep in defence.
A low defensive block proved hard to break down as the injury absences of of Mathew Leckie, Andrew Nabbout and Marco Tilio were felt with City seeming to lack a cutting edge.
Chances did still come though – Memeti just inches away from meeting a great Kuen cross in the 50th minute for our first good look of the half.
The 17-year-old was again involved on the stroke of the hour mark, almost a little surprised that Behich’s cross found him at the back post as the Wanderers’ defence failed to clear the danger – and was not able to get his effort on target.
A defensive moment to forget for City saw the visitors capitalise on their only chance of the second half, Marcus Antonsson doubling the lead in the 81st minute.
We continued to dominate possession and put pressure on the Wanderers’ defence right until the final whistle but ultimately, it was to no avail.
What’s next?
We’re on the road next week, set to take on Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Our return to AAMI Park will come the following weekend when we face Auckland FC for the first time as part of another massive doubleheader. Click here to get your tickets!
