Melbourne Victory were denied a first win of the 2026/27 A-League Men season by a 99th-minute Adelaide United equaliser on Sunday evening.
Even with a first-half goal disallowed and being made to end the contest a man lighter after Philipp Ziereis accumulated two yellow cards, Giovanni Savarese’s men were within touching distance of three points at Coopers Stadium.
Quickfire second-half strikes from Jordi Valadon and Keegan Jelacic overturned Brody Burkitt’s finish on the stroke of half-time.
But having to navigate a double-digit dose of injury time a player lighter took its toll, and substitute Joey Garuccio equalised at the death.
Following the FIFA Men’s international window, Victory visit Auckland FC before hosting Thể Công-Viettel in Group E of the AFC Champions League on Wednesday, November 25, kick-off 6:45pm AEDT, at Kardinia Park, Geelong. Tickets can be purchased now by clicking here.
Team news
There were three enforced changes from last weekend’s 1-1 A-League draw with Central Coast Mariners. Brendan Hamill operated at right-back as Harry Shillington – sent off in that one – served his one-match suspension, Ziereis came in at centre-back, and Matthew Grimaldi played off Charles Nduka, with Tom Lockyer (personal reasons) and Guillermo May (groin strain) at home in Melbourne.
Match action
The action opened with a serious case of deja vu for the visitors in South Australia, who, for the second time this calendar year, saw an unstoppable Grimaldi finish struck off following a much-deliberated VAR review.
Unlike in January, when that series of unfortunate events unfolded at the contest’s conclusion, Victory had more than 80 minutes to recalibrate from any sense of injustice that Smits had made the most of Nduka’s close attention at a corner from which the ball ended up in the net.
And as Adelaide huffed and puffed, there was a more considered approach from Savarese’s side. Santos, who moments earlier saw his work off the right peter out when Nduka shot tamely, had a go himself and watched his volley spear into the ground and onto the crossbar.
That right side provided another opening, albeit from a less likely source. Hamill steamed upfield, eating up the turf, and his low centre was crying out for a touch that would have opened the scoring.
Then, as is customary during this interstate bout, a multi-player melee could be daubed on the bingo card toward the half’s conclusion, thanks to a heap of red shirts taking umbridge to Louis D’Arrigo’s committed aerial challenge on Ethan Alagich.
Maybe that fired the hosts up, because they mustered some quality to take the lead in the third of three additional minutes. Shortly before, Brody Burkitt had snatched at an opportunity, but this time, albeit with less margin for error, he was spot on to nudge Juan Muniz’s sweeping cross in from close range.
Half-time: Adelaide United 0-0 Melbourne Victory
Just 17 seconds into the second half, debutant Mitchell Smith threatened a second when a mazy run allowed him to get a shot off, however, Jason Davidson’s block took the sting out of it, and Jack Duncan gathered.
An even clearer sight of goal came next when a corner bounced around the away team’s penalty area, only for centre-back Panagiotis Kikianis to fire into the grandstand.
Then an already unpleasant outing ended prematurely for Grimaldi. He went down without contact and had to be replaced by Denis Genreau. He would, though, be celebrating from the sidelines very soon.
Valadon, for the second domestic fixture in a row, took matters into his own hands, seizing on a loose ball, and from range, picked out the top corner with precision accuracy.
Six minutes later, with the wind in their sails and United all at sea, Victory found the go-ahead goal. Santos’ cross posed a question which Jelacic answered, getting across his man to turn a volleyed attempt beyond Smits.
With nothing to lose, the Reds went more direct, and once Ziereis was forced into a challenge that earned him a second yellow card, the clock seemed to slow, and conversely Adelaide sped up, culminating in a late leveller when Garuccio converted Ryan Kitto’s low centre.
Match details
Adelaide United 2 (BURKITT 45+3′, GARUCCIO 90+9′)
Melbourne Victory 2 (VALADON 64′, JELACIC 70′)
Adelaide United starting XI: Joshua SMITS (GK), 4. Panagiotis KIKIANIS, 7. Ryan KITTO, 10. Juan MUNIZ, 11. Craig GOODWIN (C) (58. Harry CRAWFORD 79′), 14. Jay BARNETT (62. Fabian TALLADIRA 90′), 23. Luke DUZEL (19. Amlani TATU 79′), 27. Mitchell SMITH (87. Anselmo DE MORAES 61′), 35. Brody BURKITT (65. Joey GARUCCIO 79′), 52. Sotirios PHILLIS, 55. Ethan ALAGICH.
Substitutes not used: Ethan COX (GK), 79. Feyzo KASUMOVIC.
Booking: BURKITT 68′, KIKIANIS 76′, PHILLIS 90′.
Melbourne Victory starting XI: 25. Jack DUNCAN (GK), 5. Brendan HAMILL, 4. Philipp ZIEREIS, 3. Jason DAVIDSON (C), 18. Franco LINO, 6. Louis D’ARRIGO (22. Xavier STELLA 77′), 8. Jordi VALADON, 23. Keegan JELACIC, 14. Matt GRIMALDI (10. Denis GENREAU 56′), 11. SANTOS (29. Michael GHOSSAINI 77′), 44. Charles NDUKA.
Substitutes not used: 1. Jack WARSHAWSKY (GK), 9. Harry SAWYER, 19. Oliver DRAGICEVIC, 38. John RADIMISIS.
Booking: ZIEREIS 27′ and sent off 86′, D’ARRIGO 38′, NDUKA 76′, GENREAU 90′
