Round 2 of the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season continued following two fixtures on Saturday, including a mouth-watering Melbourne Derby.
Read on below to catch up on the all the best bits from Saturday’s action as reigning premiers Melbourne City claimed early-season bragging rights with another comeback.
Meanwhile, Brisbane Roar stunned two-time defending champions Sydney FC.
In case you missed it, check out the highlights below from the opening game of Round 2 as Western United hosted Central Coast Mariners on Friday night.
Star recruit the hero in ’emotional’ Melbourne Derby blockbuster
Mariana Speckmaier made herself a hero in her first Melbourne Derby as Melbourne City claimed bragging rights over Melbourne Victory with a 3-2 win in the Ninja A-League.
Speckmaier – who struck three times in the AFC Women’s Champions League group stage – scored twice at AAMI Park on Saturday, including the game-winning goal in the 85th minute, as the reigning premiers came from behind to trump Victory in Round 2.
City trailed 2-1 with 26 minutes remaining after CommBank Matildas forward Emily Gielnik and Alana Jancevski had helped Victory take a 2-1 lead into half-time, cancelling out Speckmaier’s sixth-minute opener.
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But American recruit Lourdes Bosch equalised in the 64th minute before off-season recruit Speckmaier – who arrived from Wellington Phoenix – completed the comeback with five minutes of regulation remaining.
“What an emotional game,” City head coach Michael Matricciani told Paramount+. “I think it would’ve been an entertaining game for the neutrals.
“It could’ve gone either way. Credit to them, they played extremely well. I think just in the end we sort of overran them. We had a very good pre-season. I think playing in the AFC Champions League and starting that bit earlier gave us a bit of an edge. Very pleased (with the game).”
As for A-Leagues legend and former CommBank Matildas midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight, who retired from professional football at the end of 2023-24, she revelled in the Ninja A-League blockbuster.
“Everything we wanted in the derby, we got today,” Kellond-Knight said on Paramount+.
“It’s on theme for what this A-League Women season has given us so far. I think it’s five goals per game outside of last night’s game.
“It’s goals, goals and it’s exciting. There’s ebbs and flows to the game, it’s competitive and physical. What more can you want when you come down to watch live? You get to witness all this and it puts you on the edge of your seat.”
All eyes were on AAMI Park for the first Melbourne Derby of the Ninja A-League season.
City were coming off an incredible 5-2 comeback against Perth Glory in the opening round, while Victory edged Adelaide United 3-2 at the death last week.
City made the better start under Michael Matricciani in his first Melbourne Derby as head coach after Speckmaier broke the deadlock in the sixth minute.
A fine run from Bosch teed up the Venezuela international for her first Ninja A-League goal as a City player following her arrival from Wellington Phoenix in the off-season.
Speckmaier also hit the post 10 minutes later before Victory turned the game on its head prior to half-time.
First, Gielnik converted a 20th-minute penalty having been fouled by Bryleeh Henry. It was the Australian international’s 24th goal in her past 24 A-Leagues appearances. Then new signing Jancevski put Victory ahead three minutes before half-time with a scooped half-volley over Malena Mieres.
Victory had been relatively comfortable until they gifted City an equaliser in the 65th minute. Claudia Bunge’s backpass sold her goalkeeper short as Bosch pounced to score into an empty net.
There was a sigh of relief for TJ Vlajnic during the closing stages when the City veteran’s attempted clearly nearly ended up in her own net.
Then at the other end, McKenna’s first-time pass released Speckmaier, who finished powerfully on the half-volley to put City ahead five minutes from the end.
Roar have lift-off as Sydney match an unwanted record
Brisbane Roar celebrated their first win of the season thanks to a 1-0 win over two-time reigning champions Sydney FC.
Chelsea Blissett’s effort in the third minute of first-half stoppage time ensured the Roar – edged out by Canberra United in Round 1 – claimed maximum points at Perry Park on Saturday.
It was a familiar story for Blissett and the Roar after the former scored the only goal of the match at the same venue to begin the 2023-24 campaign.
For Sydney – who lost to Central Coast Mariners in week one, they are notoriously slow starters but have now suffered back-to-back defeats to start a season for the first time since 2017-18, with Princess Ibini the sole survivor from that squad coached by Ante Juric.
It was an evenly-contested first half in Brisbane, where Roar captain and CommBank Matildas star Tameka Yallop had a great chance to break the deadlock in the 44th minute.
Then deep into first-half stoppage time, a goal-mouth scramble saw the Roar hit the front thanks to Blissett’s effort.
Yallop nearly doubled Brisbane’s lead when her long-range strike sailed just over the crossbar 10 minutes into the second half.
Sydney continued to push forward in search of an equaliser but the Roar were not to be denied as they extended their unbeaten run against the Sky Blues to three matches.
