Melbourne City secured a decisive victory over Melbourne Victory with a 2-0 win in the Australian League Men (ALM) derby held on March 15, 2024, at AAMI Park. Despite being outshot 21 to 10, City capitalized on their opportunities, showcasing their resilience and tactical discipline.
Andreas Kuen opened the scoring for City just 83 seconds into the match, marking the fastest goal in Melbourne derby history. Kuen showcased his keen awareness by stealing the ball from Joshua Rawlins before linking up with Zane Schreiber and setting up Marco Caputo. The 20-year-old striker calmly finished with a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Jack Duncan, increasing his tally to four goals in his last four league matches.
Victory pressed hard to respond, led by their veteran player, Juan Mata, who played a pivotal role in their offensive strategy. Mata came close to scoring several times, forcing a sharp save from City goalkeeper Patrick Beach in the sixth minute and narrowly missing with a left-footed strike in the 21st minute. Despite their dominance in ball possession and attempts on goal, Victory struggled to convert chances. They recorded 10 shots, with only three on target, while City managed just three shots, two of which were on goal.
City’s second goal came against the run of play in the 56th minute when teenage substitute Peter Antoniou netted his first professional goal. After a failed clearance from Rawlins on a cross by Daniel Mazzeo, Antoniou seized the opportunity, sidestepping a defender before firing the ball into the near post.
The match was not without its challenges for City, as full-back Nathaniel Atkinson left the field in the 12th minute with a hamstring injury, joining a growing list of sidelined players that includes Aziz Behich, Mathew Leckie, and Samuel Souprayen. City is currently reviewing their training and conditioning methods due to the prevalence of soft-tissue injuries this season.
Victory’s woes continued as midfielder Keegan Jelacic limped off in the 64th minute, adding to the team’s injury concerns. Coach Arthur Diles expressed frustration with his team’s inability to finish scoring opportunities, particularly as Jing Reec’s potential goal in the 87th minute was ruled offside.
As the final whistle blew, City celebrated their hard-fought victory while Victory players were left to reflect on missed chances. The loss means that Victory will have to regroup during the upcoming international break to reassess their strategy and address their offensive inefficiencies.
