Melbourne Victory Stun Auckland FC to Reach A-League Grand Final

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Melbourne Victory shocked top-seeded Auckland FC with a 2-0 win in the second leg of the Isuzu UTE A-League semi-final at a packed Go Media Stadium on Saturday, overturning a first-leg deficit to seal a 2-1 aggregate victory and secure their spot in the Grand Final.

In front of a raucous crowd of 29,148 — the largest ever domestic attendance in New Zealand football history — the visitors turned the tie on its head with two goals in five second-half minutes.

Zinedine Machach opened the scoring in the 55th minute with a deflected low strike that beat Auckland keeper Alex Paulsen, leveling the tie on aggregate. Moments later, Bruno Fornaroli finished off a sweeping move with a clinical strike from inside the box, giving Victory the aggregate lead.

Despite a late barrage from Auckland, including a goal-line clearance in the final seconds from Victory’s backline, the Australian side held firm. The result ends Auckland FC’s dreams of a Premiership-Championship double in their inaugural season.

Victory head coach Arthur Diles made four changes from last week’s 1-0 loss and was rewarded with an energetic start. Nishan Velupillay, shifted to the right flank, tested the defense early, forcing a crucial intervention from Dan Hall to deny Fornaroli.

While Victory dominated early proceedings, Auckland gradually found their rhythm. Midfielder Louis Verstraete’s acrobatic volley was comfortably held by Victory keeper Jack Duncan. The home crowd erupted when Daniel Arzani was booked for a cynical foul, continuing the bad blood from the heated first leg.

Auckland’s best first-half chance came from a Marlee Francois corner, which Duncan palmed off the line before the danger was cleared. Tensions peaked before halftime when Paulsen charged out to confront Machach following a late tackle, resulting in a yellow card and a melee involving players from both sides.

Velupillay, who was injured during the scuffle, was forced off with a suspected Achilles injury. Yet Victory showed resilience, and it was Machach again who drove the ball forward early in the second half, firing a deflected effort past Paulsen to ignite the turnaround.

Now headed to their second consecutive Grand Final, Melbourne Victory will look to complete a remarkable playoff campaign, while Auckland FC are left to reflect on a historic debut season that ultimately fell just short of silverware.