The Western Sydney Wanderers kicked off the 2024/25 A-League season with an Australia Cup Round of 32 away fixture to Brisbane City, the Wanderers proceeding on in the Cup off the back of a pair of early goals and holding on after a late charge from the opposition.

Under new head coach Alen Stajcic, the Wanderers and their limited transfer business saw a squad comprised entirely of players who were at the club last season, with a number of players promoted to the first team after performing with the NPL squad in the first half of that season. With former Captain Marcelo having left the club, and Tom Beadling & Nathan Barrie out injured it was left to the 21 year old duo of Anthony Pantazopoulos and Alex Bonetig in central defence. Gabriel Cleur & Jack Clisby provided experience on the flanks, while Oscar Priestman & Joshua Brillante partnered up in midfield. The attacking quartet of Alex Badolato, Nicolas Milanovic, Brandon Borrello and Zac Sapsford would look to score early and repeatedly against their 8th placed Queensland NPL opposition and Lawrence Thomas retained his place as the Red & Black custodian.

It took all of 4 minutes for the A-League team to open the scoring. An in-swinging Clisby corner found a flick on from Milanovic, the Brisbane keeper Sam Flannery saved well but could do nothing about the rebound, the ball fell to Cleur and he made no mistake from point blank range. Western Sydney doubled their lead through a Badolato poachers effort, once again the City keeper managed an initial save off Milanovic but turned it into the path of Badolato and he roofed it to make it 2-0.

By the half hour mark City managed to drag the game back from dominance to merely holding out, without really troubling the Wanderers defence they at least kept the midfield battle going and prevented the visitors from any clear cut changes. They managed their first shot on target in the 35th minute, a weak header from a wide free kick. With half-time looming Flannery kept his side in the game with a great point-blank save against Sapsford's header from another in-swinging corner. It was the final action in a dominant half for the Wanderers, truly living up to their match favouritism even early into their pre-season.

The second half opened with a lightning attack from the Wanderers, a series of flicks and tricks that ended with left footed volley from Oscar Priestman that whistled past the near post. There was a delay in the 50th minute when Alex Bonetig was taken out by a City attacker who was a mile late to a bouncing ball, Bonetig cleared it away then was hammered in the head by a stray elbow.

City had their best chance of the game in the 54th minute, they broke forward and packed the box with blue shirts, Lawrence Thomas came out to claim the cross but dropped it under pressure. A scramble with players on both sides struggling to gain control ended with a desperate kick away out of danger. Seconds later there was a dubious shout for a penalty when Malakai Love-Semira blatantly dived to try and deceive referee Casey Reibelt into sending Brisbane to the spot. She wasn't fooled however, but with a first half yellow card hanging over Love-Semira he was spared the embarrassment of being sent off for diving by her decision not to call simulation.

The classic football hour mark substitutions came with Marcus Antonsson and Ayden Hammond coming on for Borrello and Badolato. City made their own subs in the 67th minute while Flannery was seated on the ground having taken a knock. Dylan Scicluna & Awan Lual made their way on with Sapsford & Priestman heading to the sheds, Lual making his first team debut for the Wanderers.

Against the run of play Brisbane City got themselves back in the match, the Wanderers failing to deal with a bouncing ball deep inside the penalty area, it fell for Noah Maieroni and his instinctive kick went into the back of Hammond, deflecting perfectly for City to the far post and leaving Thomas stranded and hopeless as City pulled the game back to 2-1 with 10 to play.

Milanovic made a express speed run down the right flank, beating his marker completely to deliver a low cross to Hammond who fired low and down to Flannery's right but the 17 year old keeper made an excellent save to turn it away for a corner. City continued to press for an equaliser, firing a shot into the chest of Pantazopoulos from close range. Milanovic was scythed down by Stevan Stanic-Floody on halfway, the former Wanderers youth product going into the referees notebook on the stroke of 90 minutes.

The City crowd thought they had their equaliser with Love-Semira finding a cross that found a City striker at the near post, his flick had the crowd gasping but Thomas made himself big and blocked the shot away. Love-Semira had another late chance with a looping header that flew over the top of the goals. A very late sub saw Jesse Cameron make his first team debut for Western Sydney, shortly after City last attempt at starting an attack ended with a goal-kick and full time was blown to give the Wanderers a "job done" win to advance into the Round of 16 in the first match of the Stajcic era.

VS

View full record