It feels as though the puzzle pieces have fallen into place for Melbourne City after they claimed a 3-0 Semi-Final first-leg win over Western United on Friday night. aleagues.com.au analyses how Aurelio Vidmar’s side have found momentum at the perfect time after a mid-season injury crisis.
At the start of 2025, this was the image summarising Melbourne City’s 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League season.
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Key players, up in the stands at AAMI Park, all dealing with their respective serious injuries, as the club’s academy kids took centre stage for a regular-season win over Wellington Phoenix.
Fast-forward five months, and AAMI Park was once again the stage – but on Friday night, three of those five pictured City players – all of whom have missed significant stretches of the 2024-25 campaign – were the key protagonists in a rousing 3-0 Semi-Final first-leg win over Western United.
Marco Tilio, Mathew Leckie and Yonatan Cohen are fit and firing at the perfect time for a team that, barring a monumental collapse in the return leg, look set to contend either Auckland FC or Melbourne Victory for the 2025 Championship title.
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Leckie and Cohen scored one goal apiece in the 3-0 win over Western but it was Tilio who captured attention with a sparkling Semi-Final display. He assisted German Ferrerya’s opening goal, took four shots and proved uncontainable from minute one to 94 in a standout performance at AAMI Park.
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Tilio, on loan for the second consecutive season at City from Scottish giants Celtic, suffered a hamstring tear in March, 2024; it limited him to just four appearances for City last term.
After a promising off-season, the fit-again Tilio came into the 2024-25 campaign eager to have a significant impact, but suffered another hamstring tear in Round 3. He missed more than two months of the season.
But on Friday night, he was at his brilliant best. Buoyed by a consistent run in the starting line-up, Tilio was integral to City taking command of the Semi-Final tie. Post-game, he spoke about yet another season of setbacks, and his gratitude to the club for supporting him through the tough times, to unlock his full potential at the right time.
“That injury really hurt,” Tilio told Network 10.
“I got through so much of pre-season, all of the games and even up until then, it was unfortunate how it all happened.
“I said to myself coming back, that I want to put myself in the best position as I always do, and just get consistent games, and get my confidence back.
“I feel I’m there now, and I’m just really grateful to everyone at the club. All the physios, the medical staff and Viddy (Aurelio Vidmar) for putting confidence in me. I feel like the boys can lean (on) me in these times, and in finals. So I’m really happy.”
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Yonatan Cohen, meanwhile, suffered a high-grade MCL sprain on New Year’s Eve and missed more than two months of action before returning to the City squad in March.
He made four consecutive bench appearances but has since started City’s last four games – including Friday’s Semi-Final, in which his superb, bending strike in the second half gave City a two-goal lead in the tie.
“I had a hard injury in my knee,” he told Network 10 post-game, reflecting on his injury layoff.
“It was three months that I was out, so it was hard for me to come back to condition and to the game.
“But in the last few games, I think (I’ve been) very good, I helped the team and the team helped me to score this goal, and to assist Leckie. I’m very happy with this result.”
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Cohen didn’t know much about his assist for Leckie. A cross from the left wing deflected fortuitously off his hip into the Socceroo’s path – but from there, Leckie showed composure to bury the ball into the back of the net, giving City their three-goal Semi-Final advantage.
Leckie hadn’t scored a league goal for City since December, 2023. Like Tilio, Leckie’s season has been hampered by hamstring issues, but after a month on the sidelines between mid-March and mid-April, and another two-game absence from the City squad in Rounds 27 and 28, the veteran Socceroo is getting his minutes off the bench heading into the second leg of the Semi-Final tie.
Leckie played 23 minutes against Sydney FC in the final round of the regular season, and 32 in Friday night’s win over Western.
Post-game, he was asked whether he’d be capable to start the return leg as City look to cement a spot in the 2025 Grand Final.
“I believe so,” he told Network 10.
“I think the strange thing for me lately is I feel good in games, but (it’s) the following day. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.
“We’ve got, hopefully, two games left if we get the result next week. I guess there’s nothing to lose, so I’m going to push my body and hopefully I can stay healthy at least for next week.”
With Leckie, Tilio and Cohen back in the squad, City look a different beast at the perfect time in the season. That image from early January now seems a world away, and with Socceroos defender Nathaniel Atkinson likely to push for selection next weekend after a minor calf complaint, head coach Aurelio Vidmar could be faced with some healthy headaches moving forward.
City face Western in the second leg of the Semi-Final tie at AAMI Park on Saturday, May 24.
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