A travelling Melbourne Victory prevailed against Sydney FC on Wednesday evening at Jubilee Stadium to earn the first place in the 2026 Hahn Australia Cup Final.
In the first-ever Hahn Australia Cup Big Blue, a goal in each half proved enough for Victory to ponder a fourth Cup Final appearance.
Sydney FC 0 Melbourne Victory 2
Melbourne Victory could not have dreamed of a better start to the match, opening the scoring less than two minutes in.
Victory pressed well and snatched the ball inside the Sydney FC half. Matthew Grimaldi played a through-ball into the right channel for Keegan Jelacic, who picked out the bottom left corner with conviction.
The visitors sought to double their advantage in the seventh minute, but Clarismario Santos saw his effort blocked.
Sydney FC threatened midway through the half, with Akol Akon, Tiago Quintal and Takahiro Sekine failing to test Jack Duncan’s glove-work in quick succession.
The Sky Blues came even closer to an equaliser in the final five regular minutes of the first half. Oriola Sunday latched onto Ben Garuccio’s far-post corner from the right, but the attacker cannoned the ball onto the post.
Melbourne Victory maintained their slender lead at the break.
The second half got off to a slower start, but in the 56th minute, Jason Davidson drilled a left-footed effort from outside the box that forced Sydney goalkeeper Gus Hoefsloot into a low save.
Hoefsloot was called into action moments later to deny Clarismario’s strike from the left of the box that almost picked out the top left corner.
Victory finally ended Sydney’s second-half resistance just after the hour mark. Charles Nduka slipped in behind the right of the box and looked to square the ball, but Jordan Courtney-Perkins inadvertently diverted it past Hoefsloot into his own goal.
Sydney FC offered attacking promise throughout the match despite conceding twice, and nearly halved the deficit 81 minutes in.
Takahiro Sekine burst into the right of the area, but blasted his shot over the bar - Sydney’s ninth shot of the game, still chasing their first on target.
Melbourne Victory held firm in the remaining minutes to confirm a place in the big dance.
The side will face either South Melbourne or Lions FC, with the teams playing each other next Tuesday night.
