Melbourne Victory host Western Sydney Wanderers in Round 12 of the Isuzu UTE A-League on Saturday, January 10, kick-off 5pm AEDT.
Five straight wins and further progression up the ladder is the target for the Boys in Blue in their second home fixture of the new year.
Adelaide United, Melbourne City, Wellington Phoenix, and Perth Glory have all been defeated at AAMI Park within the last month, with Wanderers, unbeaten in the last three regular-season meetings, the next in line to have a swing at Arthur Diles’ team.
This is the first matchup with the Red and Black half of Sydney since a memorable Finals showdown at CommBank Stadium in May was taken 1-2 by Victory.
The Boys in Blue
After winning four matches on the spin for the first time since a sequence of six was put together in 2018, Melbourne Victory are determined to extend their current streak and give the home faithful another day to remember at AAMI Park.
The Club’s home, the venue for each of these triumphs, has become a fortress of late. In fact, Victory have only lost once in Victoria this term, and will get a chance to arrest their travel sickness when visiting Adelaide United next weekend. Incidentally, it was against the Reds that this hot run started.
The latest challenge, however, will be faced without the Captain, Roderick Miranda. He was withdrawn during the opening exchanges of the win versus Perth Glory, and is set for a spell on the sidelines with a leg complaint.
In brighter news, Reno Piscopo has vacated the treatment table and is available for selection against Western Sydney Wanderers. The 27-year-old last played in July’s Australia Cup tie at Kingsway Olympic, when he was on target in the 4-3 reverse.
Piscopo’s availability increases competition for places in the middle of the park, with Louis D’Arrigo and Denis Genreau, making his first start since serving a suspension, combining well in the Perth game.
Round 12 Squad: 2. Jason DAVIDSON, 3. Adama TRAORE, 4. Lachlan JACKSON, 7. Reno PISCOPO 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, 23. Keegan JELACIC, 24. Emre SAGLAM, 25. Jack DUNCAN, 27. Louis D’ARRIGO, 28. Kayne RAZMOVSKI, 29. Oliver DRAGICEVIC, 40. Jack WARSHAWSKY, 64. Juan MATA
Ins: 7. Reno Piscopo (return from injury)
Outs: 21. Roderick MIRANDA (injured)
Unavailable: 5. Brendan HAMILL (injured), 8. Jordi VALADON (international duty), 22. Joshua RAWLINS (international duty)
A word on Wanderers
Winless in more than a month of football, Western Sydney Wanderers enter Round 12 as the Isuzu UTE A-League’s basement dwellers after starting 2026 with a fourth defeat from five outings.
A brief recess aside, when they put up back-to-back victories at the end of November, including grabbing the Sydney Derby bragging rights, Alen Stajcic’s men have been moored to the bottom half of the table, and require a sizeable uplift if they are to repeat last season’s fourth-place ranking.
Wanderers have lost four of their last five, slipping up against Perth Glory, Auckland FC, Adelaide United and Macarthur FC, and the team with the competition’s lowest shot conversion rate have only netted in one of these matches.
Off-season arrival Kosta Barbarouses, who had two spells at Victory last decade, leads their scoring charts, with four goals to his name since checking-in from Wellington Phoenix.
In defence, a reshuffle will be required after homegrown player Alex Bonetig was sold to Portland Timbers for a club record transfer fee this week. The defender had completed 90 minutes in every round of 2025/26.
Run it back
A Daniel Arzani-inspired Melbourne Victory beat Western Sydney Wanderers 1-2 to reach the semi-final of the A-League Finals series last May.
Victory’s winger expertly picked out full-back Kasey Bos for a seventh-minute opener in New South Wales.
Zac Sapsford levelled matters courtesy of a right-footed finish, but more Arzani creativity before half-time allowed Zinedine Machach to restore the lead, finding the net with what proved to be the winner.
Last time out
Melbourne Victory carried their end of 2025 form into the beginning of 2026, overcoming Perth Glory 3-2 at AAMI Park.
Louis D’Arrigo’s first goal for the Club, on the stroke of half-time, cancelled out Trent Ostler’s opener, and from this the hosts did not look back.
Player of the match Juan Mata provided two assists, teeing up Nishan Velupillay from a corner before laying on Santos’ second strike in as many matches, following fine work in the build-up by Denis Genreau.
The Glory struck again through Khoa Ngo, but this, 11 minutes from time, would not impact the outcome.
Western Sydney Wanderers slipped to a third consecutive defeat as their New South Wales counterparts, Macarthur FC, won at CommBank Stadium.
A 41st-minute Rafael Duran goal was the difference in the New Year’s Day head-to-head.
The Mexican Forward received the ball just inside the penalty area before expertly picking out the top corner.
