Melbourne City have secured their place in the finals following an impressive performance from Marcus Younis, who propelled the reigning champions to a 3-2 victory over Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium.
Younis played a pivotal role in solidifying City’s 12th consecutive finals appearance, showcasing his prowess with two goals in just five minutes during the second half. His first goal levelled the score after Justin Vidic had opened the scoring for Brisbane in the 44th minute.
The match was further sealed for City when Mehden Memeti scored off the bench in the 80th minute, and Youstin Salas provided a stunning nomination for goal of the season with a phenomenal volley in stoppage time.
This victory lifts City to third place on the table and nearly finalises the top six, with Macarthur now being the sole team that can qualify if either Melbourne Victory, Sydney FC, or Adelaide fail to gain another point while also overcoming a significant goal difference.
Brisbane’s Vidic and Sam Klein had early opportunities, but it was City who threatened first in the 12th minute when a misplayed pass from Roar goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis found its way to Andreas Kuen, whose shot was saved.
City began to dominate the game midway through the first half, with Younis establishing himself as the standout performer.
At the half-hour mark, the 20-year-old was instrumental in three major chances for City, even scoring briefly before a foul disallowed his headed goal from a corner.
Younis first tested Dean Bouzanis with a towering header from that corner, followed by a crunching tackle on Klein that led to Kavian Rahmani hitting the crossbar from outside the area shortly after.
Younis thought he found the net when he broke through Brisbane’s defence after being set free by a superb pass from Andreas Kuen, only to see Bouzanis make another vital save from just inside the box.
Although Younis appeared ready to make an impact, it was the Roar who surprisingly took the lead just minutes before the half-time whistle.
The opening goal came from Vidic, with the move initiated by a long ball from Bouzanis targeting the determined 21-year-old. Henry Hore capitalised on the loose ball and passed to Georgios Vrakas, whose shot deflected off Harrison Shillington and perfectly set up Vidic to volley past Patrick Beach, granting the Roar an unexpected 1-0 advantage at the break.
Ninja A-League Dolan Warren Awards voting now OPEN! Everything you need to know
Vidic remained active at the start of the second half with a couple of early attempts, but Younis quickly regained control.
After winning a penalty from a reckless challenge by Noah Maieroni, Younis himself stepped up to convert, sending Bouzanis the wrong way with a clever spot kick.
Just five minutes later, Younis put City ahead as a quick throw from Kuen found Medin Memeti, whose near-post effort was saved, allowing Younis to volley home the rebound.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to catch every moment, highlight, and show!
If that goal hadn’t sapped the Roar’s spirit, Memeti’s surely did a quarter of an hour later, as he expertly converted a precision cross from Elbasan Rashani.
However, the Roar made a stunning comeback in stoppage time thanks to a remarkable strike from Salas, who read a tackle perfectly and unleashed a powerful volley that left Patrick Beach with no chance.
Klein nearly equalised just a minute later, missing the target with a close effort, but City managed to hold on, securing their finals position.
City will vie for a home final next Sunday when they face Adelaide United at AAMI Park, while Brisbane will be playing solely for pride against Perth Glory at HBF Park on Anzac Day.
ALEX TOBIN MEDAL VOTES:
3. Marcus Younis
2. German Ferreyra
1. Samuel Souprayen
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:
Compiled by SportArena.au
Fanpage: SportArena.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
