Melbourne Victory host Wellington Phoenix in Round 10 of the Isuzu UTE A-League on Monday, December 29, kick-off 7pm AEDT.
Victory, with a third-straight win in their crosshairs, after back-to-back three-point returns, have a serious spring in their step heading into their last match of the year.
Before Christmas, Arthur Diles’ side backed up their Original Rivalry success over Adelaide United with a dramatic win in the second Melbourne Derby of the season.
These triumphs followed the goalless draw away to Macarthur FC, meaning Victory can complete an unbeaten month of action for the first time in 2025/26 when the Phoenix visit AAMI Park.
The Boys in Blue
Wins on successive weekends have propelled Melbourne Victory into the top-six conversation going into a stretch of three home matches in a row.
Placed ninth on the ladder ahead of Round 10 getting underway, there is a real opportunity to create some daylight between themselves and those at the bottom.
Recent history versus the next opponents, Wellington Phoenix, suggests this direction of travel can be continued in the Monday night football clash, with Victory having taken three of the last four meetings. This includes home and away wins earlier this year.
A third would be a well-received late Christmas gift after Matthew Grimaldi kicked off the festivities with a bang, thanks to his 91st-minute winner against Melbourne City.
The 22-year-old’s dramatic late strike, his first for the Club, which decided the 51st Melbourne Derby, evidenced the depth of Arthur Diles’ squad. Grimaldi, who worked his way into the starting XI back in October, has been limited to substitute appearances since the trip to Brisbane Roar, but took his latest entry from the bench with both hands.
His timely finish would not, however, have been so telling had Jack Duncan not kept a fourth clean sheet of the campaign. His efforts repeatedly foiled City’s attacking advances, keeping out Max Caputo, who averages a goal every two games, before showing immense reflexes to stop Medin Memeti’s flashing header. Duncan now faces the team he represented in 2023/24.
Round 10 Squad: 2. Jason DAVIDSON, 3. Adama TRAORE, 4. Lachlan JACKSON, 8. Jordi VALADON, 9. Nikolaos VERGOS, 10. Denis GENREAU, 11. Clerismario SANTOS RODRIGUES, 14. Matthew GRIMALDI, 15. Sebastian ESPOSITO, 16. Joshua INSERRA, 17. Nishan VELUPILLAY, 19. Jing REEC, 21. Roderick MIRANDA, 22. Joshua RAWLINS, 23. Keegan JELACIC, 25. Jack DUNCAN, 27. Louis D’ARRIGO, 29. Oliver DRAGICEVIC, 40. Jack WARSHAWSKY, 64. Juan MATA
Ins:
Outs:
Unavailable: 5. Brendan HAMILL (injured), 7. Reno PISCOPO (injured), 18. Franco LINO (injured)
Phoenix rising?
Wellington Phoenix will be determined that their third victory of the season does not prove to be another false dawn, after wins in October and November over Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United, were unable to be launchpads to continued success.
Last Sunday, the Nix proved too strong for basement dwellers Central Coast Mariners, a result that jumped them into seventh place, but only ahead of Victory on goal difference in a congested pack.
The 3-1 outcome improved on the score draw away to Mariners in early November, when Ifeanyi Eze’s fourth-minute goal was not enough to secure maximum points.
Eze has found the net four times so far this campaign, to lead Wellington’s scoring charts, but has yet to be on target during a win since signing from Iraq Stars League side Al-Karkh SC in the close season. He grabbed a leveller in the home reverse to Auckland FC, whilst it was captain Alex Rufer who pulled them level away to the Black Knights.
Neither of these goals, nor two penalty saves from Josh Oluwayemi in the recent meeting at GoMedia Stadium, has halted Auckland’s dominance of the Kiwi Classico, and Giancarlo Italiano’s men have lost all five derbies since a second New Zealand club was added to the competition last season.
Run it back
Melbourne Victory picked up their fifth away win of the 2024/25 season as they came out on the right side of a five-goal game at Wellington Phoenix in April.
The visitors made the perfect start across the ditch, with Nishan Velupillay’s composed finish putting them in front after just four minutes.
Corban Piper responded for the Nix, but Zinedine Machach’s header from a corner restored the advantage during first-half injury time.
This was extended by Nikos Vergos shortly after the interval – a goal that turned out to be the winner due to Paulo Retre making it 2-3 with a quarter of an hour remaining.
Last time out
For a long time, it appeared that Patrick Beach would keep Victory from scoring, as the opposition goalkeeper, for the second time this season, performed heroics to keep his side in the battle between light and navy blue.
He stretched every sinew to keep out an audacious Nikos Vergos effort during the second half, but was eventually beaten during stoppage time.
Juan Mata played a quick corner short to Denis Genreau, and he showed the requisite efficiency to cue up Grimaldi, who eased onto his left foot and picked out the bottom corner in style.
Wellington Phoenix overcame a first-half setback to defeat Central Coast Mariners 3-1 at Sky Stadium.
The Phoenix were in front after 36 minutes when Corban Piper’s cute finish rounded off Kazuki Nagasawa’s driving run and pass, but let this slip in the sixth minute of injury time.
18-year-old goalkeeper Eamonn McCarron, who had earlier replaced the injured Josh Oluwayemi, could not hold onto Miguel Di Pizio’s low shot, and Sabit Ngor snuck home the rebound on the angle.
Wellington restarted brightly and would retake the lead thanks to Manjrekar James’ well-placed penalty before Carlo Armiento, just three minutes later, added a decisive third goal.
