The woodwork was rattled several times at AAMI Park but Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory couldn’t be split as it finished 0-0 in the Melbourne Derby.
City’s Mathew Leckie and Victory defender Jason Geria both hit the woodwork inside the first 10 minutes of the pulsating clash at AAMI Park before Zinedine Machach then saw his scrambled effort cleared off the goal line in the Isuzu UTE A-League on Saturday.
City goalkeeper Jamie Young then pulled off a brilliant one-handed stop to deny Daniel Arzani before City’s Marco Tilio clipped the crossbar before half-time.
City winger Marin Jakolis was then fortunate to escape with just a yellow card after he was involved in a heated incident with Geria, appearing to make contact with his head as the pair came face-to-face.
“He could be in real trouble here,” said Paramount+ commentator and former A-Leagues striker Daniel McBreen as the incident played out.
“I think Jakolis is very, very lucky. He’s kicked out and he’s thrown his head into the face.
McBreen continued: “I don’t think there was too much force and that may have let him get away with it.”
Meanwhile one of the men involved, Jason Geria, had his say after the game but opted to take a more lighthearted approach when discussing the incident.
“Alireza… his word is the law,” laughed Geria when speaking to Paramount+ after the game.
“Whatever he says goes, VAR doesn’t exist for Alireza!”
Jamie Maclaren had the best chance of the second half but shot straight at Paul Izzo as the game ended in a goalless draw for the second time this season.
The result leaves three-time reigning premiers City in seventh spot while Victory remain fourth, but now trail league leaders Wellington Phoenix by five points.
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Victory posed the early questions in the bout but it was City who almost landed the first blow. Picking the ball up in midfield, Leckie drove towards the Victory box, played a one-two with Maclaren before seeing his curling effort crash back off the far post.
Straight up the other end, Arzani then picked a hole in the City backline to find Geria flying forward from left back but he too saw his shot cannon back off the woodwork.
Machach almost profited from a Jamie Young error in the 29th minute, stabbing an effort towards goal after the keeper had fumbled a cross but thankfully for City, defender Curtis Good was on hand to clear the ball on the goal line.
Young was then tested soon after but this time his handling was second-to-none, as the veteran shotstopper pulled off a remarkable save, parrying away Arzani’s fizzing effort from inside the box.
Starting his first game since returning to City on loan from Celtic, Tilio almost fired his side into the lead on the stroke of half-time but the Socceroo was denied by a flying Izzo who tipped Tilio’s left-footed effort onto the bar.
The thermostat was then cranked up in the 69th minute as substitute Jakolis and Victory’s Geria were involved in a fiery confrontation.
After Geria put in a good sliding tackle to win the ball, Jakolis appeared to then kick out at the Victory man whilst he was on the ground before then throwing his head towards him as the two squared up, however referee Alireza Faghani showed leniency, flashing just a yellow card in Jakolis’ direction.
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The aforementioned Jakolis almost then helped break the deadlock in the 81st minute, threading a perfect pass into the path of Maclaren but the City captain shot straight at Izzo, much to the frustration of boss Aurelio Vidmar who sprinted out of the dugout in anticipation of the ball hitting the back of the net.
Speaking to Paramount+ after the game Victory defender Jason Geria commented
