A-League Roundup: Historic Grand Final Possible as Auckland FC and Melbourne City Take Steps Forward

The A-League semi-finals have set up a potential historic Grand Final between Auckland FC and Melbourne City. Catch up on the latest news and results.

Auckland FC and Melbourne City are poised to contest a historic Grand Final after both teams secured wins in their away semi-final legs. The top two finishers in the regular season are one step away from the championship showdown, which is set to take place at Mount Smart Stadium on May 31.

Melbourne City's win didn't reflect the even stats, with both teams having 50-50 possession, four shots on target each, and a close expected goal projection. Despite this, City scored when it mattered most. Manager Aurelio Vidmar credited his team's timely goals but didn't consider them huge favorites for the second leg, acknowledging the matchup's competitiveness.

Socceroo left-back Mathew Leckie ended a goal drought spanning over 500 days, scoring in timely fashion to seal City's fifth consecutive win over Western United. This victory likely settled the tie in City's favor. Western United's chances were further hampered by star striker Noah Botic starting on the bench due to a minor injury. Botic, who has been linked to a potential move to St Pauli, would need to replicate his hat-trick heroics from the elimination final to give his side any hope of turning the tie around at AAMI Park next weekend.

Contrasting Matches

A day after the first semi-final, Melbourne Victory faced Auckland FC at the same venue, but the dynamics were vastly different. Victory dominated possession (60-40) and earned nine corners, yet couldn't get past Auckland's goalkeeper Alex Paulsen. Meanwhile, Auckland capitalized on one of their two shots on target, securing a crucial 1-0 lead.

𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 | 𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗩𝗦 𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬

Haris Zeb's 80th minute strike secures a point for the Navy Blues#WeAreCityFC pic.twitter.com/WaQ1GAs9yp

— 🇳🇿 Auckland City FC (@AucklandCity_FC) May 17, 2025

Mount Smart Stadium's capacity is being increased to nearly 30,000 with temporary seating, which sold out before installation. Melbourne Victory coach Tony Diles has predicted his team will use the intense atmosphere to their advantage. Diles faces a tough challenge in finding a way past Auckland FC, who have conceded just 14 goals in 13 home games this season after taking over mid-season following Patrick Kisnorbo's resignation.

Auckland FC has a three-game away winning streak, including victories over Wellington, Macarthur, and Western Sydney. However, they conceded in each of those wins, so they may need to score two or more goals to overcome the deficit. A win would make them the first A-League club to play in eight men's Grand Finals.

Goal of the Week*

The standout strike of the semi-finals came from Israeli recruit Yonatan Cohen, who scored his fifth league goal with a silky smooth finish in the 3-0 win. This impressive strike was one of four contenders but clearly stood out.