Melbourne City climbed to the top of an unbalanced A-League Men table with a third consecutive win at AAMI Park on Saturday evening.
Playing our third home game in just over a week, City secured another three points as Ben Mazzeo scored in a second consecutive game, netting the decisive goal with a brilliant header in the 65th minute.
Team News
With this match marking our fourth game in just 11 days, Aurelio Vidmar made three changes to his starting XI to manage the hectic schedule.
17-year-old Kavian Rahmani was handed his starting debut in midfield, Germán Ferreyra made his first start since Round 2, and Medin Memeti returned to lead the line.
Starting XI: 33. Patrick BEACH (GK), 2. Callum TALBOT, 27. Kai TREWIN, 22. Germán FERREYRA, 16. Aziz BEHICH (C), 6. Steven UGARKOVIC, 13. Nathaniel ATKINSON, 47. Kavian RAHMANI, 46. Ben MAZZEO, 38. Harry POLITIDIS, 35. Medin MEMETI.
Substitutes: 1. Jamie YOUNG (GK), 19. Zane SCHREIBER, 26. Samuel SOUPRAYEN, 36. Harry SHILLINGTON, 39. Emin DURAKOVIC, 42. Ben DUNBAR, 50. Mikey GHOSSAINI.
What happened?
Rahmani almost enjoyed an ideal opening to his starting debut, coming close to scoring directly from a corner in the opening 90 seconds, with Kai Trewin also narrowly missing a connection on the well-placed cross.
City’s defence was immediately tested at the other end, with Nathaniel Atkinson clearing off the line to deny former City star Florin Berenguer an early opener.
In the 13th minute, a sharp cutback from Mazzeo found Memeti in the box, but the young striker sent his effort across the face of goal after Atkinson was also involved in the buildup.
City continued to apply pressure, with Atkinson forcing a good save from Macklin Frecke and seeing another effort blocked by a Roar defender within a 10-minute span.
Full of confidence after goals in consecutive games, Harry Politidis dazzled his defender just before half-time, driving into the box and forcing a brilliant save from Frecke as the match remained goalless at the break.
The second half started brightly, with Atkinson delivering a pinpoint cross to Memeti in the 48th minute, only for Frecke to make another impressive save.
Steven Ugarkovic nearly delivered a goal-of-the-season contender with a stunning volley in the 55th minute, setting the tone for a dominant second half in midfield. The City playmaker would go close twice more before full-time.
City’s persistence finally paid off from a corner following another Ugarkovic effort. Substitute Zane Schreiber delivered a perfectly placed cross, and Mazzeo, running away from goal, managed to whip his neck back and power a header past the helpless Frecke.
Brisbane pressed hard in the final 20 minutes, but City’s defence held firm to secure a third consecutive clean sheet.
What’s next?
City now embarks on a three-week stretch of away games, starting next Saturday with a trip across the ditch to face Auckland FC.
