Melbourne Victory host Adelaide United in Round 8 of the Isuzu UTE A-League on Saturday, December 13, kick-off 7:35pm AEDT.
Victory are back at AAMI Park in front of their home supporters for the first time in more than a month after playing three consecutive away matches following the final Men’s FIFA Window of 2025.
In the last of these matches, Arthur Diles’ side put a full stop on their unwanted losing run, playing out a 0-0 draw against Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
The Boys in Blue
Melbourne Victory will be revved up for their AAMI Park return, having played just two of their opening seven matches on home soil in a fixture schedule that has seen them frequently bounce interstate.
Now, including the Christmas Derby, a designated away game, Victory’s next five outings will be right here in Melbourne. They are next on their travels when visiting Adelaide United in mid-January.
And this sequence offers the perfect platform to produce a winning run capable of shooting Arthur Diles’ men up the ladder approaching the 2025/26 season’s midway point.
Ahead of Round 8, they sit just four points behind the top six, with the last Finals spot currently occupied by Adelaide, meaning this weekend’s Original Rivalry clash is a tailor-made opportunity to close the gap going into the campaign’s second Melbourne Derby.
One player particularly well-versed in the long-standing grudge match between the teams of Victoria and South Australia is midfielder Louis D’Arrigo – the 24-year-old was born in Adelaide and represented the Reds for the first five years of his professional career before spending two years playing for Lechia Gdansk.
From Poland, he returned to Australia to sign for Victory during the off-season, and after an injury delayed his debut, D’Arrigo is making up for lost time. Away to Macarthur, the woodwork denied him a stunning first goal, but the quality shown in that strike is unlikely to be kept off the scoresheet for long.
The same can be said for Nishan Velupillay. Another player sidelined until recent weeks, the Socceroo went close twice to grabbing a late winner in Campbelltown, with signs of his best form returning, coinciding with the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup draw.
Round 7 Squad: 2. Jason DAVIDSON, 3. Adama TRAORE, 4. Lachlan JACKSON, 8. Jordi VALADON, 9. Nikolaos VERGOS, 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, 28. Kayne RAZMOVSKI, 29. Oliver DRAGICEVIC, 40. Jack WARSHAWSKY, 64. Juan MATA
Ins: 28. Kayne RAZMOVSKI
Outs: N/A
Unavailable: 5. Brendan Hamill (injured), 7. Reno PISCOPO (injured), 10. Denis GENREAU (suspended), 18. Franco LINO (injured)
The Reds
Adelaide United are two goals from being the fourth team in A-League Men’s history to concede 800 goals, but for the last few days, the 798th strike against will have felt like the most painful breach yet.
Airton Andrioli’s team appeared set for a share of the spoils against Brisbane Roar last weekend, an adequate response to the previous weekend’s disappointing reverse at Wellington Phoenix, until a 95th-minute heartbreaker unleashed by Chris Long.
The late home defeat recorded back-to-back defeats for the second time this term, and surrendered both the chance to move into fifth place and record clean sheet number two for 2025/26.
At the other end of the field, it was United’s first scoreless outing, and contrasted with their 4-1 thrashing of Melbourne City. On that occasion, the Reds netted in either half, including a third of the season for leading scorer Luka Jovanovic.
He is aiming to step up following the departure of English attacker Zach Clough, as returning hero Craig Goodwin, who was part of Adelaide’s 2016 Premiership-Championship double, settles back into South Australian life.
Run it back
Melbourne Victory came from behind twice to win an eight-goal epic against Adelaide United at the end of March.
Jonny Yull’s early goal was wiped out by half-time as Daniel Arzani swept home a leveller, and Nishan Velupillay accurately picked out the bottom corner.
The tide changed when Archie Goodwin nodded in an equaliser, and Zach Clough’s penalty put the Reds in front ahead of the hour mark, but they could not hold on.
Daniel Arzani converted from 12 yards to restore parity before a late double from Nikos Vergos pulled Victory clear for their 10th three-point return of the season.
Last time out
Melbourne Victory had to settle for a point away to Macarthur FC in Round 7, despite knocking on the door repeatedly.
The visitors created far more than the Bulls, seeing a Santos goal in first-half injury-time ruled out by VAR for a Juan Mata foul during the build-up, and were left frustrated again just moments later, when Louis D’Arrigo’s rocket crashed the post.
Chances continued to be created after the break, but when picking up good positions in front of the goal, neither Matthew Grimaldi nor Nishan Velupillay could pick out the corner, as Filip Kurto’s goal lived a charmed life.
Adelaide United were also set for a goalless draw until they were struck down at the last by an in-form Brisbane Roar outfit.
As the game edged toward its conclusion, the home team sensed a winner. Jonny Yull’s teasing cross was crying out for a decisive touch from a red shirt; this was not, however, forthcoming, and it proved to be costly.
In the last of five additional minutes, Roar striker Chris Long engineered some space and unleashed an unstoppable drive from the edge of the box to snatch the win at Coopers Stadium.
