Very rarely has the A-League’s Melbourne derby failed to deliver.
Saturday night’s thrilling encounter was no exception, providing fans at the Etihad Stadium a contest that will well and truly be remembered in the years to come.
Reigning champions Melbourne Victory edged the encounter 3-2 thanks to a last gasp winner from hitman Besart Berisha in front of more than 40,000 spectators. With Kevin Muscat’s men up 2-0 and on course for yet another derby success, Melbourne City scored two quick goals in succession to silence the Victory fans. However, Stefan Mauk’s 71st minute equaliser was to be cancelled out by Berisha’s goal – his first of the season.
With the Victory tipped to retain the A-League Championship, the question must be asked about their rivals – where will they end up this season? Much is expected from a side with a range of new signings this season and the pressure is well and truly on manager John van’t Schip. But judging from this performance and the opening round draw between Sydney FC (a genuine contender to the Victory’s title), City can pose a serious threat to opposition teams and with consistent performances, challenge for a spot in the top three.They dominated the possession stats against their rivals and will be disappointed not to have found the net a third time after wasting several chances.
READ MORE: Fan Reaction [VIDEO] – Melbourne Victory 3 Melbourne City 2
City can take a lot of confidence from their derby defeat to come back from 2-0 down and will go into their third round clash against the Central Coast Mariners at AAMI Park with optimism. The home fixture against a side who suffered their first loss of the season in Round Two to the Brisbane Roar is a real opportunity for the glamour outfit to kick-start their A-League campaign.
As for the Victory, coach Kevin Muscat will be pleased to get his first win of the season following their first round stalemate against Adelaide United. The reigning champions are firm favourites to retain their title and their derby success on the weekend can provide the perfect steppin- stone to continue the dominance from 2014-15.
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The Victory next travel to Newcastle to face the Jet’s, who are coming-off a defeat to rivals Sydney FC and will be looking to make it two wins in two.
Fans can hardly wait for the second Melbourne derby of the season in Round 11 after Saturday’s epic, so expect the Melbourne clubs to be at the top of their game in the coming rounds as they look to maintain a position in the top half of the A-League ladder and continue their respective promising starts to the season.
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