Melbourne Victory visit Adelaide United in Matchweek 4 of the A-League Men.
For the first of two occasions in 2026/27, on Sunday, November 8, kick-off 5pm AEDT, the Boys in Blue are readying themselves to cross into South Australia to do battle in the Original Rivalry at Coopers Stadium.
Preparations for both teams have included action in the AFC Champions League Two, with Victory hosting Indonesian side Persib Bandung at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium and Adelaide facing Lion City Sailors in Singapore.
Supporters can watch the team’s final match before the FIFA Men’s international window live on Paramount+.
The Boys in Blue
Melbourne Victory have little time to lick their wounds after Wednesday’s stinging AFC Champions League Two loss to Persib Bandung, when Giovanni Savarese’s side were within touching distance of a big three points in their bid to reach the knockout stages of continental competition for the first time in six years.
Attention promptly shifts back to A-League Men matters, where a road trip to current basement dwellers Adelaide United, which rounds out the Matchweek 4 schedule, offers up the latest chance to put a first three points on the board.
Plans to deliver this in front of a home crowd during last weekend’s Kids Round were hamstrung by an early red card shown to Harry Shillington, who is suspended for the trip. But the character shown by Victory to battle on with 10 players and then come from a goal behind to earn a point, thanks to Jordi Valadon’s special strike, was a real positive on an afternoon that could have taken a different turn.
There was also a return from injury for former Adelaide man Louis D’Arrigo in the draw with Mariners, valuable minutes that were backed up by another hour put into his legs against Persib.
MW4 squad: 1. Jack WARSHAWSKY, 3. Jason DAVIDSON, 4. Philipp ZIEREIS, 5. Brendan HAMILL, 6. Louis D’ARRIGO, 8. Jordi VALADON, 9. Harrison SAWYER, 10. Denis GENREAU, 11. Clerismario SANTOS RODRIGUES, 14. Matthew GRIMALDI, 15. Thomas LOCKYER, 18. Franco LINO, 19. Oliver DRAGICEVIC, 21. Guillermo MAY, 22. Xavier STELLA, 23. Keegan JELACIC, 25. Jack DUNCAN, 28. William KENGNI, 29. Michael GHOSSAINI, 44. Charles NDUKA.
Ins: 19. Oliver DRAGICEVIC, 28. William KENGNI.
Outs: 26. Jack MIHAILIDIS, Harrison SHILLINGTON (suspension).
Unavailable: 16. Joshua Inserra (injured), 36. Harrison SHILLINGTON (suspension).
Last time out
Melbourne Victory will need to win their two remaining AFC Champions League Two Group E matches to qualify for the knockout stages following a 1-2 loss to Persib Bandung on Wednesday night.
In another tight contest between the two sides, both teams struck the woodwork before Brendan Hamill forced a Julio Cesar own goal to put Victory in front with 18 minutes remaining.
But as they did in Bandung a week previous, Persib found the net twice, equalising thanks to substitute Luka Menalo and pinching a 90th-minute winner through Montenegrin Balsa Sekulic.
