A-League semis: Auckland FC to face Melbourne Victory after upset

RNZ News

10-05-2025

Auckland FC celebrate their A-League Premier Plate success.
Photo:
Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Auckland FC are into the two-leg A-League semi-finals, after lifting the
Premiers Plate
in their first season in the competition.
The newcomers had a week off, while they waited to see who they would face next.
Now the final four have been found.
Auckland FC -
Finished top of the league.
Auckland set all kinds of records this season - six wins in their first six games, five games before conceding a goal and longest unbeaten streak of any team this season at 14 games.
Finished the regular season with 15 wins, eight draws and three losses.
Melbourne City -
Finished the regular season as the second-placed side and also secured a place in the AFC Champions League.
Champions League football is normally reserved for the A-League premiers, but Auckland cannot play in Asian tournaments, so City fill the place and takes the NZ$1.3 million cheque qualification cheque.
City finished the regular season with 14 wins, six draws and six losses.
Western United -
Finished third in the regular season and won an elimination final, thanks to a record-breaking hat-trick from Noah Botic, to earn a semi-final berth.
Western had 14 wins, five draws and seven losses in the regular season.
Melbourne Victory -
Finished fifth in the regular season and caused an upset in the elimination final, beating Western Sydney Wanderers for the first time this season and ending the Wanderers 14-game unbeaten run.
Victory ended the regular season with 12 wins, seven draws and seven losses.
Auckland v Melbourne Victory
Last time they played Auckland FC won 2-0 on 19 April in Melbourne.
Melbourne City v Western United
Last time they played, Melbourne City won 2-0 on 7 January in Melbourne.
The semi-finals are played over two legs - home and away - with the team that score the most goals across both matches (aggregate score) moving on to the Grand Final on 31 May.
Auckland FC chose to play the away leg first on 17 May, which will be held at Melbourne's AAMI Park at 9.35pm, and the second leg will be played at
Go Media Stadium
on 24 May at 6pm.
Capacity will be
increased
at Mt Smart for the semi-final.
Melbourne City are 'away' in the first leg on 16 May AAMI Park at 9.35pm and the second leg will again be played at AAMI Park on 24 May 9.35pm.
Western United's normal home ground is Ironbark Fields in Tarneit, but the Australian Professional Leagues has decided they will host City at City's home ground.
The one-off Grand Final will either be at Mt Smart Stadium, if Auckland win their semi-final series, or at AAMI Park.
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