Melbourne Victory FC–Western United FC rivalry

Melbourne Victory FC–Western United FC rivalry

Other names	Westgate Derby Battle of the Bridge
Location	Melbourne
Teams	Melbourne Victory Western United
First meeting	2 November 2019 A-League Melbourne Victory 2–3 Western United
Latest meeting	1 December 2024 A-League Men Western United 1–3 Melbourne Victory
Next meeting	10 January 2025 A-League Men Melbourne Victory v Western United
Stadiums	AAMI Park (Melbourne Victory and Western United)
Statistics
Meetings total	17
Most wins	Western United (8)
Top scorer	Besart Berisha Jake Brimmer Aleksandar Prijović (4 goals each)
All-time series	Melbourne Victory: 6 Drawn: 3 Western United: 8
Largest victory	Western United 1–6 Melbourne Victory 2020–21 A-League (28 May 2021)
Melbourne Victory Western United

The Melbourne Victory FC–Western United FC rivalry, also known as the Battle of the Bridge and the Westgate Derby, is a rivalry between Victorian clubs Melbourne Victory and Western United.

Despite the rivalry's short existence, it has garnered a reputation for producing talking points, controversy, tension, goals and drama. In the team's first meeting, in November 2019 at Marvel Stadium, Western United won 3–2 despite going 2–0 down within the first 7 minutes. In February 2021 at Marvel Stadium, despite conceding the first goal of the match and despite being reduced to 10 men for the final half-hour of the match, Western United won 4–3, with Victor Sanchez scoring in the final minute of stoppage time.

Overall, Western United has won the most games in the rivalry's history, having won eight times with three draws while Melbourne Victory having won six times. Western United's record win was a 4–1 victory in an A-League Men Finals match at AAMI Park on 21 May 2022, with the Victory's record win being a 6–1 victory in an A-League match at AAMI Park on 28 May 2021. Besart Berisha, Jake Brimmer, and Aleksandar Prijović hold the mark for the most derby goals with four in all competitions.

Background

When Western United joined the A-League for the 2019–20 season as the competition's third Victorian club, they formed a rivalry with the Melbourne Victory nicknamed the Westgate Derby and the Battle of the Bridge.

Results

Melbourne Victory vs. Western United

Venue	Date	Competition	Score	Home goalscorers	Away goalscorers	Attendance
Marvel Stadium	2 November 2019	A-League	2–3	Toivonen 6', Dobras 7'	Diamanti 16', Donachie 29' (o.g.), McDonald 51'	20,865
Bankwest Stadium	25 July 2020	A-League	1–2	Roux 83'	Uskok 38', Burgess 57'	0 (BCD)
Marvel Stadium	27 February 2021	A-League	3–4	McManaman 21', Butterfield 62', Gestede 82'	Sánchez 42', 90+5', Berisha 53', 58'	7,190
AAMI Park	26 December 2021	A-League Men	3–1	Geria 18', Brillante 19', D'Agostino 90+4'	Prijović 87'	13,186
	23 March 2022	A-League Men	1–1	Hamill 85'	Topor-Stanley 47'	5,022
	21 May 2022	A-League Men Finals	1–4	Brimmer 37'	Prijović 18', 49', Wales 78', Wenzel-Halls 90+9'	15,349
	13 March 2023	A-League Men	1–2	Fornaroli 50'	Botic 38', Prijović 69'	9,157
	20 February 2024	A-League Men	2–1	Da Silva 90+5', 90+8'	Penha 60'	5,442
	10 January 2025	A-League Men

Western United vs. Melbourne Victory

Venue	Date	Competition	Score	Home goalscorers	Away goalscorers	Attendance
GMHBA Stadium	8 December 2019	A-League	3–1	Berisha 17', 43', Kone 24'	Nabbout 14'	10,128
AAMI Park	30 January 2021	A-League	0–0			7,016
	28 May 2021	A-League	1–6	Diamanti 45+2'	Brimmer 12', Gestede 22', Kamsoba 33', 50', Folami 36', Butterfield 82'	0 (BCD)
GMHBA Stadium	20 November 2021	A-League Men	0–1		Miranda 75'	8,120
AAMI Park	17 May 2022	A-League Men Finals	0–1		Brimmer 74'	7,295
	3 August 2022	Australia Cup	2–1	Timotheou 24' (o.g.), Wales 53'	Brimmer 48'	3,670
	26 December 2022	A-League Men	1–0	Risdon 45+1'		2,867
	14 March 2024	A-League Men	2–2	Penha 43', Garuccio 90'	Folami 70', Ikonomidis 79'	3,058
	1 December 2024	A-League Men	1–3	Botic 19'	Machach 8', Vergos 48', Fornaroli 69'

Fixture top scorers in the derby

As of 1 December 2024

Rank	Scorer	Club(s)	Goals
1	Besart Berisha	Western United	4
	Jake Brimmer	Melbourne Victory
	Aleksandar Prijović	Western United
4	Noah Botic	Western United	2
	Damien Da Silva	Melbourne Victory
	Alessandro Diamanti	Western United
	Ben Folami	Melbourne Victory
	Bruno Fornaroli	Melbourne Victory
	Elvis Kamsoba	Melbourne Victory
	Daniel Penha	Western United
	Víctor Sánchez	Western United
	Lachlan Wales	Western United

Statistics and records

As of 1 December 2024, there have been 17 first-class meetings between the two teams since the first meeting in 2019, of which Western United have won eight, Melbourne Victory with six, and three draws. The most goals in one game were scored in was a 4–3 away win by Western United on 27 February 2021 and a 6–1 away win by Melbourne Victory on 28 May 2021. Western United have twice won in Victory's former home Docklands Stadium. Western United's record for goals scored against Melbourne Victory is three goals by Besart Berisha and two by Víctor Sánchez.

Summary of results

As of 1 December 2024

Competition	Matches played	Victory wins	Draws	Western United wins	Victory goals	Western United goals
League	16	6	3	7	28	26
Australia Cup	1	0	0	1	1	2
Total	17	6	3	8	29	28

Players who played for both clubs

Connor Pain and Besart Berisha have played for both Melbourne Victory and Western United

Six players have played for both Melbourne Victory and Western United in senior football since 2019, with inaugural Western United squad members Besart Berisha and Connor Pain being the first players to have played for both Melbourne Victory and Western United, with both players starting for Western United in their inaugural A-League match against Wellington Phoenix FC on Sunday 13 October 2019.

Josh Cavallo and Thiel Iradukunda had previously played for Melbourne Victory's youth team before going on to represent Western United's senior team.

Dalibor Markovic was the first player to directly transfer between the two clubs when he signed for Western United from Melbourne Victory midway through the 2020–21 A-League season, while Brendan Hamill became the first player to transfer directly from Western United to Melbourne Victory when he joined the Victory in July 2021.

Name	Pos	Victory			Western United
		Career	Apps	Goals	Career	Apps	Goals
Connor Pain	FW	2013–18	67	5	2019–2023	108	10
Besart Berisha	FW	2014–16	137	86	2019–21	50	26
Sebastian Pasquali	MF	2016	4	0	2019–	34	0
Dalibor Markovic	DF	2020–2021	4	0	2021–2023	4	0
Brendan Hamill	DF	2021–2022	19	3	2019–2021	20	0
Christian Theoharous	FW	2017–2018	25	1	2021–2023	4	1
Connor Chapman	DF	2023–	29	1	2019	8	0

Highest attendances

• Melbourne 2–3 Western; 20,865 (2 November 2019); Marvel Stadium
• Melbourne 1–4 Western; 15,349 (21 May 2022); AAMI Park
• Melbourne 3–1 Western; 13,186 (26 December 2021); AAMI Park
• Western 3–1 Melbourne; 10,128 (8 December 2019); GMHBA Stadium
• Western 0–1 Melbourne; 9,157 (13 March 2023); AAMI Park

Honours

As of 1 October 2022

Competition	Melbourne Victory	Western United
A-League Men Premiership	3	0
A-League Men Championship	4	1
Australia Cup	2	0
Total	10	1

See also

• Melbourne Derby (A-League Men)