Juan Mata inspired Melbourne Victory to a second Melbourne Derby win of the Isuzu UTE A-League season on Saturday night.
Victory’s splendid Spaniard scored in either half at AAMI Park to secure the Round 18 points and retain the Melbourne Derby bragging rights following December’s success.
Mata’s incredible first-half finish, scoring from close to the centre circle, was cancelled out by Max Caputo’s header, but the playmaker had another ace up his sleeve. On the edge of the box, his fizzing strike arrowed into the net in front of the masses of Victory fans.
The World Cup winner completed his work by assisting Santos’ late clincher to send the Vuck faithful into raptures.
Team News
The Head Coach opted for an unchanged starting XI from the 1-1 draw with Brisbane Roar. There was one switch on the bench, with Jing Reec, who missed out last weekend through illness, replacing Oliver Dragicevic.
Match Action
Victory, the designated away team for the fixture, made most of the early running in the derby. Plenty of this was being undertaken by the ever-willing Charles Nduka, and he would have the contest’s first major chance.
Nishan Velupillay crossed from the left, and despite Nduka and Keegan Jelacic initially getting in one another’s way, the Japanese striker lashed an effort goalwards that Patrick Beach’s forearm beat away. From the resulting corner, Denis Genreau glanced a header narrowly wide.
City were under the pump, struggling to get out of their own half, and the Boys in Blue took full advantage. German Ferreyra was spooked by the presence of Velupillay, spilling the ball to Mata, who breathtakingly chipped Beach first-time from 40 yards out.
Ahead of the half-hour mark, it was almost two, not once but twice, only for Mata, following a dancing run, to be foiled by Beach and Genreau to see a thunderbolt crash the crossbar on its way behind.
Then, against the run of play, Caputo, meeting a Marcus Younis cross, headed a City equaliser into the corner of Jack Warshawsky’s goal.
Victory’s goalkeeper, not at fault for what had come before, further enhanced his growing reputation soon after. Younis again centred, and whilst Medin Memeti had the goal at his mercy, Warshawsky showed tremendous reactions to keep the close-range effort out.
In the half’s closing stages, both Jelacic and Nduka miscued left-footed shots, as the teams went into the rooms level.
Half-time: Melbourne City 1-1 Melbourne Victory
Diles’ side continued to be the ones setting the agenda in Victoria, and Jelacic was heavily involved, causing issues on the right and through the middle, being just unable to keep a strike down when he was afforded time to run directly at the opposition.
His race would soon be run, but his replacement, Matthew Grimaldi, would make a swift impact. Navigating in-field, the substitute had defenders scrambling back, unable to attend to the lurking Mata, whose first touch allowed his second to be a devastating one destined for the top corner.
All the energy was with Victory, and it took a collection of sky blue shirts to eventually end the pursuit of another introduction, when Nikos Vergos bulldozed his way towards goal.
Providing energy off the bench, substitute Santos would make sure to seal the deal for the Boys in Blue, sent through on the counterattack by Juan Mata and finishing beautifully into the side netting, a perfect ending to a memorable Melbourne Derby performance.
Match Details
Melbourne City 1 (CAPUTO 32′)
Melbourne Victory 3 (MATA 21′, 65′, SANTOS 89′)
Melbourne City starting XI: 1. Patrick BEACH (GK), 2. Harrison DELBRIDGE, 8. Ryan TEAGUE, 13. Nathaniel ATKINSON, 14. Daniel ARZANI (19. Zane SCHREIBER 70′), 16. Aziz BEHICH (C), 17. Max CAPUTO (30. Andreas KUEN 70′), 21. Alessandro LOPANE (47. Kavian RAHMANI 59′) (26. Samuel SOUPRAYEN 78′), 22. Germán FERREYRA 28. Marcus YOUNIS, 35. Medin MEMETI (39. Emin DURAKOVIC 59′).
Substitutes not used: 40. James NIEUWENHUIZEN (GK), 44. Besian KUTLESHI.
Booking: BEHICH 60′.
Melbourne Victory starting XI: 40. Jack WARSHAWSKY (GK), 2. Jason DAVIDSON, 21. Roderick MIRANDA (C), 15. Sebastian ESPOSITO, 22. Joshua RAWLINS, 10. Denis GENREAU, 8. Jordi VALADON, 17. Nishan VELUPILLAY (11. Clerismario SANTOS RODRIGUES 81′), 64. Juan MATA (19. Jing REEC 90+1′), 23. Keegan JELACIC (14. Matthew GRIMALDI 62′), 44. Charles NDUKA (9. Nikolaos VERGOS 62′).
Substitutes not used: 25. Jack DUNCAN (GK), 16. Joshua INSERRA, 34. Xavier STELLA.
Booking: ESPOSITO 87′.
Coming soon
Big match. Big entertainment. Melbourne DJs Orkestrated headline the Original Rivalry clash next Friday at AAMI Park.
