Melbourne City has pulled off one of the most memorable results in Club history, securing a dramatic 2-1 win away to Machida Zelvia in the AFC Champions League Elite thanks to a stoppage-time strike from Andrew Nabbout and a Player of the Match performance from Patrick Beach.
In a night that showcased City’s trademark resilience and the depth of its youth, Aurelio Vidmar’s side – featuring nine Academy graduates and a starting XI average age of just 22.8 years – outlasted a powerful Machida side to claim back-to-back continental victories and keep our knockout stage ambitions well and truly alive.
Team News
Vidmar made five changes to the lineup that took to the pitch in Brisbane last Friday night, calling on the next generation once again as experienced duo Aziz Behich and Mathew Leckie remained in Melbourne for further assessment on hamstring niggles.
Harry Shillington, Zane Schreiber, Beckham Baker, Emin Durakovic and Kavian Rahmani all came into the starting XI, with 16-year-old Besian Kutleshi among those moving to the bench.
Starting XI: 1. Patrick BEACH (GK), 36. Harry SHILLINGTON, 22. Germán FERREYRA, 27. Kai TREWIN, 13. Nathaniel ATKINSON (C), 19. Zane SCHREIBER, 39. Emin DURAKOVIC, 30. Andreas KUEN, 38. Beckham BAKER, 47. Kavian RAHMANI, 17. Max CAPUTO.
Substitutes: 33. Dakota OCHSENHAM (GK), 4. Liam BONETIG, 10. Takeshi KANAMORI, 15. Andrew NABBOUT, 20. Ben MAZZEO, 34. Jayden NECOVSKI, 37. Peter ANTONIOU, 44. Besian KUTLESHI, 45. Ryan KALMS, 49. Isiah BOSTON.
What happened?
City got off to the dream start – even if in bizarre fashion. Inside the opening minute, a back pass from Machida defender Gen Shoji completely wrong-footed his goalkeeper and trickled agonisingly over the line to hand us a stunning early lead.
That early gift didn’t deter the home side for long, with Machida soon gaining control of possession and peppering the City defence. Patrick Beach was called into action in the 12th minute, producing a superb reflex save to tip a powerful header from Oh Se-hun over the bar.
After sustained pressure, the hosts eventually found an equaliser midway through the half via a brilliant first-time top-corner strike from Henry Mochizuki.
Despite conceding, City’s backline continued to stand tall – Germán Ferreyra and Kai Trewin in particular leading the resistance with a series of crucial blocks and clearances to keep the scores level heading into the break.
At the other end, Andreas Kuen’s midfield drive sparked a rare first-half opening, with Max Caputo’s shot on the counter flashing just wide after a strong run from the 20-year-old.
Machida continued to apply pressure after the restart, but Beach remained unbeatable, pulling off a string of exceptional saves – including a fingertip effort in the 68th minute after the hosts looked certain to take the lead.
Entering the pitch as a half-time substitute, Takeshi Kanamori brought plenty of life to City’s attack, putting in a strong second-half performance down the right-hand side.
Then came the fairytale moment. With 20 minutes to play, Nabbout entered the pitch for his second appearance since November last year, instantly lifting his teammates.
He came close to assisting a late winner when his 89th-minute cross found Kanamori at the back post, but the header sailed just over the bar.
However, Nabbout’s moment of redemption was still to come. Deep into stoppage time, City won back-to-back corners and kept the pressure on.
After Rahmani’s driven shot was saved, the rebound fell perfectly for Nabbout, who smashed his strike goalward. It cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and bounced down on (or perhaps over) the line – before VAR confirmed what every City player already knew. The goal stood, sparking jubilant celebrations as City sealed a historic away win.
Beach’s heroics were fittingly recognised as he was named Player of the Match, capping off a remarkable team performance defined by heart, hunger and belief.
What’s next?
City now returns home brimming with confidence ahead of the first Melbourne Derby of the season this Saturday night – click here to get your tickets!
After our second consecutive in the AFC Champions League Elite, the focus now shifts back to domestic action as Vidmar’s men look to continue their unbeaten start to the Isuzu UTE A-League campaign.
