In a classic game of two halves, Melbourne City produced a stirring second-half performance on Friday night, coming from behind to defeat league leaders Auckland FC 2-1 at AAMI Park.
After a difficult opening 45 minutes that saw City head into the break trailing and without registering a single shot, a vastly improved performance after half-time turned the contest on its head. Goals from Max Caputo and Medin Memeti ensured the points stayed in Melbourne, capping off a memorable night against the competition pace-setters.
Team News
Aurelio Vidmar made three changes to his most recent starting XI, highlighted by the inclusion of new signing Ryan Teague, who was handed a starting role in midfield just days after arriving in Melbourne.
Max Caputo returned to lead the line, while Liam Bonetig came into the heart of defence, replacing Samuel Souprayen, who missed out due to a minor Achilles flare-up.
Starting XI: 1. Patrick BEACH (GK), 13. Nathaniel ATKINSON, 22. Germán FERREYRA, 4. Liam BONETIG, 16. Aziz BEHICH (C), 27. Kai TREWIN, 8. Ryan TEAGUE, 39. Emin DURAKOVIC, 35. Medin MEMETI, 15. Andrew NABBOUT, 17. Max CAPUTO.
Substitutes: 40. James NIEUWENHUIZEN (GK), 19. Zane SCHREIBER, 20. Ben MAZZEO, 21. Alessandro LOPANE, 30. Andreas KUEN, 36. Harry SHILLINGTON, 41. Lawrence WONG.
What happened?
The opening stages were scrappy and stop-start, with early injury concerns disrupting any rhythm. Lengthy stoppages were required to assess Kai Trewin and Emin Durakovic, with both initially able to continue before Trewin was eventually forced from the field later in the half.
With bodies flying in a physical contest, clear chances were at a premium, and neither side was able to gain sustained control. City defended resolutely for large periods, but struggled to build fluency with the ball, finding it difficult to break through a compact Auckland midfield.
Not long after the half-hour mark, Patrick Beach produced a sharp save at his near post to deny Jesse Randall following a cleverly worked short corner. However, City’s resistance was finally broken in first-half stoppage time, as Auckland struck on the counterattack, Lachie Brook finishing clinically to give the league leaders a 1-0 advantage at the break.
It was a half to forget for City, who went into the sheds without managing a shot, but the response after the interval was immediate.
City emerged with far greater intent, pressing higher and moving the ball with more purpose, even if clear-cut chances initially remained elusive. Vidmar turned to his bench in the 57th minute, introducing Ben Mazzeo and Andreas Kuen in search of added energy and attacking spark.
Nathaniel Atkinson continued his impressive recent form down the right flank, providing a constant outlet and combining strong defensive work with increasingly dangerous forward runs.
City’s persistence was eventually rewarded after a lengthy VAR review, with a handball from Francis De Vries inside the box resulting in a penalty.
Caputo stepped up with composure, drilling his spot kick low into the bottom right corner to bring City level and swing momentum firmly in our favour.
Vidmar made further attacking changes soon after, introducing Lawrence Wong and Alessandro Lopane, as City pushed for a winner. Atkinson went close in the 74th minute after the ball bobbled around the area, but his low strike slipped narrowly wide of the upright.
The decisive moment arrived following a brilliant fast break, with Atkinson once again involved, swinging a lofted ball across the face of goal to Behich. The skipper drove forward and unselfishly teed up Memeti, who made no mistake from point-blank range, heading home to complete the comeback.
City still had work to do late on, with Auckland pushing for an equaliser, but Atkinson produced a huge diving block deep into stoppage time to deny the visitors and help see out a memorable victory.
What’s next?
With a seven-game run of home fixtures now complete, City will hit the road for a three-match away stretch, beginning with a trip to face Macarthur FC next Saturday night. Fans can tune in live and free via 10Bold or 10 streaming.
