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. On 20 February 2024, with Western United leading 1-0 at the end of regulation time, Damien Da Silva scored two goals deep in injury time to secure a 2-1 win, putting the Victory back in finals contention after a 6 game winless streak.
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.
Unfortunately the rivalry didn't take place in the 2025-26 Season due to western United's licence being put into hibernation due to the club having financial troubles. At the time the rivalry remained at the time with Western United had won 9 matches, Melbourne Victory had won 6 matches and 3 matches ended in a draw.
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 Men's football Melbourne Victory vs. Western United VenueDateCompetitionScoreHome goalscorersAway goalscorersAttendanceMarvel Stadium2 November 2019A-League2–3Toivonen 6', Dobras 7'Diamanti 16', Donachie 29' (o.g.), McDonald 51'20,865Bankwest Stadium25 July 2020A-League1–2Roux 83'Uskok 38', Burgess 57'0 (BCD)Marvel Stadium27 February 2021A-League3–4McManaman 21', Butterfield 62', Gestede 82'Sánchez 42', 90+5', Berisha 53', 58'7,190AAMI Park26 December 2021A-League Men3–1Geria 18', Brillante 19', D'Agostino 90+4'Prijović 87'13,18623 March 2022A-League Men1–1Hamill 85'Topor-Stanley 47'5,02221 May 2022A-League Men Finals1–4Brimmer 37'Prijović 18', 49', Wales 78', Wenzel-Halls 90+9'15,34913 March 2023A-League Men1–2Fornaroli 50'Botic 38', Prijović 69'9,15720 February 2024A-League Men2–1Da Silva 90+5', 90+8'Penha 60'5,44210 January 2025A-League Men3–4Hamill 9', Fornaroli 39', Santos 79'Ibusuki 17', 90+4', Walatee 69', Botic 90+1'11,657
Western United vs. Melbourne Victory VenueDateCompetitionScoreHome goalscorersAway goalscorersAttendanceGMHBA Stadium8 December 2019A-League3–1Berisha 17', 43', Kone 24'Nabbout 14'10,128AAMI Park30 January 2021A-League0–07,01628 May 2021A-League1–6Diamanti 45+2'Brimmer 12', Gestede 22', Kamsoba 33', 50', Folami 36', Butterfield 82'0 (BCD)GMHBA Stadium20 November 2021A-League Men0–1Miranda 75'8,120AAMI Park17 May 2022A-League Men Finals0–1Brimmer 74'7,2953 August 2022Australia Cup2–1Timotheou 24' (o.g.), Wales 53'Brimmer 48'3,67026 December 2022A-League Men1–0Risdon 45+1'2,86714 March 2024A-League Men2–2Penha 43', Garuccio 90'Folami 70', Ikonomidis 79'3,0581 December 2024A-League Men1–3Botic 19'Machach 8', Vergos 48', Fornaroli 69'5,263
Fixture top scorers in the derby
RankScorerClub(s)Goals1 Besart BerishaWestern United4 Jake BrimmerMelbourne Victory Aleksandar PrijovićWestern United4 Noah BoticWestern United3 Bruno FornaroliMelbourne Victory6 Damien Da SilvaMelbourne Victory2 Alessandro DiamantiWestern United Ben FolamiMelbourne Victory Hiroshi IbusukiWestern United Elvis KamsobaMelbourne Victory Daniel PenhaWestern United Víctor SánchezWestern United Lachlan WalesWestern United
Women's football
Melbourne Victory vs. Western United VenueDateCompetitionScoreHome goalscorersAway goalscorersAttendanceHome of the Matildas6 January 2024A-League Women1–4Lowe 78'Hieda 32', A. Taranto 34', Logarzo 60', 69'1,68617 November 2024A-League Women4–1Gielnik 1', 9', 41', O'Grady 80'Zimmerman 20'1,014
Western United vs. Melbourne Victory VenueDateCompetitionScoreHome goalscorersAway goalscorersAttendanceCity Vista Recreation Reserve19 November 2022A-League Women1–0McDonald 54'2,75322 October 2023A-League Women2–1M. Taranto 66', Hieda 90'Checker 15'2,200Ironbark Fields1 March 2025A-League Women1–2Gielnik 45' (o.g.)Furphy 10', Morrison 47'897
Statistics and records As of 10 January 2025, there have been 18 first-class meetings between the two teams since the first meeting in 2019, of which Western United have won nine, 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.
Results Men's football
Competition Matches played Victory wins Draws Western United wins Victory goals Western United goals League 15 5 3 7 29 26League Finals210124 Australia Cup 1 0 0 1 1 2 Total 18 6 3 9 32 32
Women's football
Competition Matches played Victory wins Draws Western United wins Victory goals Western United goals League 5 2 0 3 8 9 League Finals 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 5 2 0 3 8 9
Total Combined Competition Matches played Victory wins Draws Western United wins Victory goals Western United goals Combined League 20 7 3 10 37 35 Combined League Finals 2 1 0 1 2 4Australia Cup100112 Combined Total 23 8 3 12 40 41
Players who played for both clubs
Eight 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 on 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.
NamePosVictory career spanWestern United career span Connor PainFW2013–20182019–2023 Besart BerishaFW2014–20162019–2021 Sebastian PasqualiMF20162019–2025 Dalibor MarkovicDF2020–20212021–2023 Brendan HamillDF2021–20222024–present2019–2021 Christian TheoharousFW2017–20182021–2023 Connor ChapmanDF2023–20242019 James DonachieDF2016–201820192019–20202023–2025
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
Men's Football
Competition Melbourne Victory Western UnitedA-League Men Premiership30A-League Men Championship41Australia Cup20Total101
Women's Football
Competition Melbourne Victory Western UnitedA-League Women Premiership10A-League Women Championship30Total40
Total Combined Competition Melbourne Victory Western UnitedCombined A-League Premiership40Combined A-League Championship71Australia Cup20Total131
See also Melbourne Derby (A-League Men)
References