Adelaide United secured a dramatic second-place finish in the Isuzu UTE A-League regular season after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Melbourne City, thanks to a last-minute goal from Luka Jovanovic at AAMI Park.

Late Heroics Propel Adelaide

Jovanovic's late winner, scored in the 98th minute, capped off a remarkable performance that saw Adelaide leapfrog Auckland FC in the standings. This victory sets the stage for a rematch against Melbourne City in the first week of the Isuzu UTE A-League Finals Series. Additionally, the Reds have earned a coveted spot in the AFC Champions League Elite playoffs for the upcoming season.

Match Highlights

The match began with a near miss for Adelaide as Harry Crawford struck the post within the first five minutes after stealing the ball from Samuel Souprayen. However, it was Melbourne City who took the lead in the 17th minute, with Marcus Younis scoring a stunning goal from the right edge of the box. Younis, in fine form, nearly added to his tally with an audacious scissor kick that hit the side netting.

Adelaide faced a setback just before halftime when defender Souprayen was forced off due to injury, replaced by Harrison Delbridge. In the second half, Brazilian Anselmo de Moraes came close to equalizing but was denied by Delbridge's excellent defending. The Reds welcomed back Craig Goodwin from injury in the 77th minute, and he made an immediate impact, assisting Jovanovic's equalizer shortly after entering the pitch.

As the match approached its conclusion, tensions flared following a foul by Jay Barnett on Younis, leading to a scuffle on the touchline that resulted in several yellow cards. In the dying moments of the match, Adelaide seized the opportunity to counterattack, culminating in Jovanovic's decisive goal that secured the victory.

With this win, Adelaide United not only solidified their position in the league but also set themselves up for an exciting playoff campaign ahead.