Melbourne Victory host Brisbane Roar in Round 17 of the Isuzu UTE A-League on Saturday, February 14, kick-off 5pm AEDT.
In the first of three successive matches at AAMI Park, Arthur Diles‘ side are looking to continue their Finals charge by solidifying their place in the competition’s top six.
Victory jumped back into the top half of the table with a 2-3 success away to Wellington Phoenix last Friday, beating Giancarlo Italiano’s team for the second time this season.
This Saturday’s opponents, Brisbane Roar, were on the wrong end of a 1-2 reverse to Central Coast Mariners the following day.
The Boys in Blue
With 10 games remaining, the race for Finals football is well and truly on for Melbourne Victory and the rest of the Isuzu UTE A-League teams, who are jostling for positions in an increasingly congested pack.
The Round 16 win over the Phoenix vaulted Victory into fifth position, just seven points off top spot and five behind second, but they are also within striking distance for the club’s placed seventh, eighth and ninth. Incidentally, one of these teams is Brisbane Roar.
Their success across the Tasman was kick-started by a maiden professional goal for central defender Sebastian Esposito, while Nishan Velupillay reclaimed Victory’s lead late in the first half, on target for a second consecutive trip to the capital of New Zealand.
Central midfielder Louis D’Arrigo’s second goal of the season proved to be the winner in Wellington, scoring just one minute after entering the action from the bench.
At Sky Stadium, there was a first start of the season for Reno Piscopo and a full debut for January signing Charles Nduka. The Japanese forward led the line, assisting Velupillay’s goal and having his own finish chalked off for a handball in the build-up.
With D’Arrigo dropping out of the squad and entering Victory’s injury list, teenage midfielder Xavier Stella has been promoted to the 20-player list ahead of the Roar clash.
Round 17 Squad: 2. Jason DAVIDSON, 4. Lachlan JACKSON, 7. Reno PISCOPO, 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, 34. Xavier STELLA, 40. Jack WARSHAWSKY, 44. Charles NDUKA, 64. Juan MATA
Ins: 34. Xavier STELLA (promoted)
Outs: 27. Louis D’ARRIGO (injured)
Unavailable: 27. Louis D’ARRIGO (injured)
The Roar
After entering 2026 in third position on the ladder, Brisbane Roar have suffered six defeats in seven matches to slip out of the top six ahead of away fixtures at Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC, before finishing February by hosting Perth Glory.
It was against Perth that the Roar claimed their solo win this year, coming from behind to win at HBF Park in mid-January, where joint-leading scorers Chris Long and Samuel Klein were on target for Michael Valkanis’ side.
However, their bid to reach Finals for the first time since 2021 has been dented by damaging losses, including three on home soil last month, where the Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC won to nil, and Adelaide came from behind to win courtesy of a Brody Burkitt hat-trick.
They also left AAMI Park empty-handed, being edged by Melbourne City, and suffered a 4-1 crushing at the hands of current table-toppers Newcastle Jets.
A run of five fixtures as hosts in their last seven regular season matches to round off the campaign could, though, be the ace up Brisbane’s sleeve. After all, they took 10 points from the first 12 available on home soil to start off the season.
Run it back
An early Brisbane Roar goal was enough for the points against Melbourne Victory at Suncorp Stadium in November.
Samuel Klein’s decisive third-minute finish saw the midfielder slam in Justin Vidic’s inviting lay-off as the Roar made a positive start in Queensland.
Victory’s best chances, falling to Jing Reec and Santos, were impressively saved by Dean Bouzanis, and the night would end with more frustration when Denis Genreau was shown a straight red card in injury time following an incident by the corner flag.
Last time out
Melbourne Victory claimed their third away win of the season, coming out on top of a five-goal game with Wellington Phoenix.
Sebastian Esposito’s 10th-minute header and Nishan Velupillay’s tidy finish on the stroke of half-time split Carlo Armiento’s equaliser to have the visitors ahead at the break.
Victory’s lead was crucially extended when substitutes Keegan Jelacic and Louis D’Arrigo combined for the latter to head in before a late Roderick Miranda own goal added some respectability to the scoreline for Wellington.
A Central Coast Mariners comeback turned over Brisbane Roar at Kayo Stadium in Round 16.
Nicholas D’Agostino’s first goal of his second spell, after 44 minutes, had the home team set for a half-time lead until Miguel Di Pizio tucked away Lucas Mauragis’s left-sided delivery.
And the Mariners completed their comeback when Storm Roux flashed in the winner from a corner that the Roar failed to clear.
