Melbourne City edge crosstown rivals Victory to win A-League title

Yonatan Cohen proved the hero as Melbourne City claimed the bragging rights over crosstown rivals Melbourne Victory with a 1-0 victory to lift the A-League title on Saturday.

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In front of a sell-out crowd of 29,902 at AAMI Park, Cohen scored in the 10th minute before the disciplined City shut down Victory with gritty defending in a nerve-jangling second-half.

City claimed their second title having reached the grand final for the fifth time in the last six years.

"It's amazing to do it against our rivals," City defender Nathaniel Atkinson said.

"We got that early goal and we knew with our defence that we could keep a clean sheet."

It was a bitter disappointment for Victory, who lost at the final hurdle for the second straight season to once again fall short of equalling Sydney FC's record of five titles.

"It's really tough to be in this position two years in a row," Victory defender Roderick Miranda said.

"We had chances in the beginning, but in the second-half they defended really well."

The powerhouse clubs had never previously met in a grand final since the A-League replaced the National Soccer League in 2005 as Australia's top football competition.

The blockbuster decider was a tonic for a competition that has been mired by financial strain and declining popularity since the Covid-19 pandemic.