Melbourne City had to dig deep, but ultimately secured our first three points of 2026 with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Brisbane Roar in a fiery midweek encounter at AAMI Park.
An early header from Max Caputo proved the decisive moment on the night, as City dominated long periods of the contest before holding firm through a tense and ill-tempered finish that saw emotions boil over after the final whistle.
Team News
Aurelio Vidmar made three changes to his starting XI following Saturday night’s draw with Sydney FC, with Max Caputo, Zane Schreiber and Liam Bonetig all returning to the lineup.
Takeshi Kanamori missed through a groin injury and is expected to spend a brief stint on the sidelines, while Kavian Rahmani will be unavailable for a little longer after sustaining a knee injury late against Sydney, though scans have thankfully cleared him of major damage. Samuel Souprayen was also rested from the matchday squad with the quick turnaround in mind.
There was positive news elsewhere, with Lawrence Wong and Alessandro Lopane both named in a matchday squad for the first time this season after overcoming long-term knee and ankle injuries respectively.
Starting XI: 1. Patrick BEACH (GK), 13. Nathaniel ATKINSON, 22. Germán FERREYRA, 4. Liam BONETIG, 16. Aziz BEHICH (C), 27. Kai TREWIN, 19. Zane SCHREIBER, 30. Andreas KUEN, 35. Medin MEMETI, 39. Emin DURAKOVIC, 17. Max CAPUTO.
Substitutes: 40. James NIEUWENHUIZEN (GK), 15. Andrew NABBOUT, 21. Alessandro LOPANE, 36. Harry SHILLINGTON, 38. Beckham BAKER, 41. Lawrence WONG, 44. Besian KUTLESHI.
What happened?
City wasted no time asserting control on the contest, dominating the early possession and territory. While initial efforts from Emin Durakovic and Medin Memeti didn’t overly trouble the Roar goalkeeper, the pressure quickly told.
The breakthrough arrived in the 11th minute, and it was no more than City deserved. Having enjoyed close to 80 of the ball to that point, Durakovic delivered his second corner in quick succession, picking out Caputo at the back post. The young forward timed his movement perfectly, lost his marker and powered a simple header into the net to give City a deserved lead.
City continued to dictate the tempo following the opener, with Kai Trewin, Schreiber and Andreas Kuen controlling proceedings through midfield. Brisbane struggled to gain any sustained momentum, with City alert in transition and quick to shut down danger whenever the visitors attempted to break.
Moments before the break, City thought we had doubled our advantage. Atkinson won the ball high and fed Kuen, who smashed home a nice finish, only for celebrations to be cut short by the referee for a contentious foul in the buildup.
Despite that frustration, City went into the sheds firmly on top, holding 72% possession and leading the shots 9–3.
The pattern largely continued after the interval, though Brisbane did show more intent on the counter. Patrick Beach was called into action in the 50th minute, producing a sharp save at his near post to deny Georgios Vrakas in a rare two-on-one situation.
City remained in control for much of the second half, though couldn’t quite find the second goal that would have put the contest beyond doubt. A special moment arrived in the 79th minute when Wong and Lopane were introduced together, marking their first appearances of the season following long injury layoffs.
As the match wore on, City became a little sloppy in possession, allowing Brisbane to sense an opportunity. Andrew Nabbout did go agonisingly close to sealing the points in the 86th minute, latching onto a clever flick-on and curling an effort against the crossbar.
Stoppage time was frantic. A lengthy VAR check assessed a potential Brisbane penalty before being waved away, and the match descended into chaotic end-to-end moments. Wong nearly capped his return with a dream goal after finding space in the area, but couldn’t quite get his shot away.
After more than ten minutes of added time, the final whistle sparked heated scenes as players from both sides came together, underlining the intensity of the contest.
What’s next?
City’s extended run of home fixtures continues to wind down, with two matches remaining at AAMI Park.
Next up is a Sunday evening clash against Newcastle Jets, as Vidmar’s side looks to build momentum off the back of a hard-earned win. Tickets are on sale now – click here to get yours!
