As the final whistle blew at AAMI Park, the strains of Happy Together filled the air, marking Melbourne City’s crowning as A-League finals series champions after a tense derby grand final against Melbourne Victory, which ended in a 1-0 victory for City. This defeat extended Victory’s streak of grand final losses to two consecutive years.
City’s captain, Aziz Behich, expressed his elation post-match, stating, "It hasn’t sunk in just yet, but that feels great, championship words," during an interview with Paramount+.
The decisive moment of the match came in the 10th minute when Yonatan Cohen netted the winner, following a rebound from Max Caputo’s shot that hit the post. The match was intense, living up to the fierce rivalry typically associated with a derby encounter.
Tensions ran high, exemplified by an incident in the 49th minute when Mathew Leckie suffered a facial injury from a stray boot belonging to Zinédine Machach. Despite the injury, Leckie continued to play with a bandage wrapped around his head, blood visible on his face. Commentator Andy Harper remarked on the unfortunate nature of the clash, referring to it as "a nasty exchange, accidental."
The atmosphere became even more charged as City’s Germán Ferreyra and Victory’s Lachlan Jackson were involved in a confrontation during a corner twenty minutes later. In the 77th minute, Josh Inserra of Victory was cautioned with a yellow card for a reckless challenge against Marco Tilio, further escalating the physicality of the match, which saw players needing to be separated.
Despite the heated exchanges and dramatic moments, City maintained their composure to clinch the title—this victory marks their first since 2021, with Leckie being awarded the Joe Marston Medal for best on ground performance.
The crowd at AAMI Park was at full capacity, setting a record for the largest audience at a sporting event in the venue’s history. Meanwhile, Melbourne Victory now faces a significant wait, having not claimed a title since 2018.