Melbourne Derby (A-Leagues)

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Melbourne Derby (A-Leagues)

The Melbourne Derby is an intra-city local derby in Australia's premier association football competition, the A-League Men. It is contested between the first two Melbourne teams playing in the competition, Melbourne City (formerly Melbourne Heart) and Melbourne Victory, and is the A-League Men's first intra-city derby.

Quick Facts Location, Teams ...
Melbourne Derby
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A Melbourne Derby match at Marvel Stadium in 2015.
LocationMelbourne
TeamsMelbourne City
Melbourne Victory
First meeting8 October 2010
A-League
Melbourne Heart 2–1 Melbourne Victory
Latest meeting22 February 2025
A-League Men
Victory 2–2 City
Statistics
Meetings total48
Most winsMelbourne Victory (17)
Top scorerJamie Maclaren (10)
All-time seriesVictory: 17
Drawn: 16
City: 15
Largest victoryCity 7–0 Victory
(17 April 2021)
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AAMI Park
Location of the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (AAMI Park), the home stadium for both Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory
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History

Summarize
Perspective

With the introduction of Melbourne Heart (who would later be known as Melbourne City) to the A-League at the start of the 2010–11 season, (the Victory having joined the league at inception), the first derby was held on 8 October 2010 at AAMI Park. The match was originally scheduled for 2 October 2010. However, due to the 2010 AFL Grand Final Replay occurring on the same day, the match was postponed.[1]

Melbourne City won the inaugural derby 2–1, with goals from Alex Terra and John Aloisi. Robbie Kruse scored for Victory. Aziz Behich was sent off late in the second half, but Heart were able to hold on and secure the win. Although the game was an official sell out, only 25,897 fans turned up, well short of AAMI Park's official capacity of 30,050. The Victory hosted their first home derby on 22 January at Docklands Stadium, with the match ending in a 2–2 draw.[2] The match was marred by an unacceptable tackle by Kevin Muscat on Adrian Zahra, which earned the Victory captain his second straight red card and a subsequent eight-match ban, ending not only his season, but his A-League career.[3]

The first scoreless draw in the derby occurred in the third round of 2011–12 season, whilst a record crowd at AAMI Park was in attendance for the second derby of the season. This derby was arguably one of the best in the rivalry's brief existence, with Heart midfielder Matt Thompson scoring twice in a matter of minutes late in the first half to put Heart in the lead 2–1, before City substitute Alex Terra scored controversially after appearing to handball preceding his goal in the second half. City would win the match 3–2.[4] The intense rivalry and passion between both sets of supporters occasionally boiled over, as occurred in February 2011 when four Melbourne City supporters were charged with "conspiracy to falsely imprison a [Victory supporter] ".[5]

In the 2014–15 season, City underwent a takeover by the City Football Group. Melbourne City had their first derby win under the new management that season, winning the pre-Christmas derby 1–0 with Erik Paartalu scoring one of the latest winners in a derby.[6] Victory and City later met in the Finals Series for the first time, in front of a derby record attendance of 50,873 at Etihad Stadium. Melbourne Victory won the Semi Final convincingly with a score of 3–0, with goals from Besart Berisha, Kosta Barbarouses and Archie Thompson.[7] The third derby of the 2015–16 season was marred by a series of flares let off both outside AAMI Park before the match and inside the arena during the match by some Melbourne Victory supporters. The poor behaviour from Victory fans also extended to "an alleged assault on TV news personnel outside the stadium, throwing missiles at Melbourne City player Thomas Sørensen and a Victoria Police officer, and altercations with police after the match".[8] Football Federation Australia subsequently issued Melbourne Victory a $50,000 club fine and a suspended three competition points deduction.[8] On the field, the match was lauded as one of the most "captivating" derbies of the rivalry and featured an incredible passage of play for a goal from City striker Bruno Fornaroli.[9] In Round 2 of the 2016–17 season, City recorded just their second ever derby win at Etihad Stadium, comfortably defeating Victory 4–1. The match featured the A-League Men debut of Socceroos all-time leading goal scorer Tim Cahill for City, who scored an incredible long-range goal to open City's account.[10] The February 2017 derby was a spiteful and controversial affair. Most notably City goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis, was suspended and forced to undergo an education course after ethnically slurring Victory striker Besart Berisha during the late stages of Victory's 2–1 win.[11] Tim Cahill was also red carded before even being entering the field of play, and Victory held on to record a stunning come from behind win.[12][13]

The two rivals have been drawn for an FFA Cup derby only once; in 2016 at the semi-final stage of the tournament. Melbourne City advanced to the Final, knocking out Victory 2–0 in what was one of the most physically confrontational clashes between the two rivals. The game was not without controversy, with Melbourne City's first goal of the match allowed to stand, despite the fact that Tim Cahill had seemingly interfered with Lawrence Thomas's line of sight whilst in an offside position.[14][15]

In the nine matches played from the start of the 2017–18 season to the end of the 2019–20 season, the teams shared three wins, three draws and three losses respectively, indicating a period of relative evenness between the rivals. This changed in the first two derbies of the 2020–21 season, when City claimed historic record wins in the fixture's history, defeating Victory firstly by six goals to nil in March 2021 and then by seven goals to nil the following month.[16] Jamie Maclaren became the first player to score more than three goals in a derby in the latter game and the second player in league history to score five goals in a match, after Archie Thompson scored five goals in the 2007 A-League Grand Final.[17] The results, which coincided with a torrid run of form for the Victory that left them in last place on the ladder,[18] resulted in the sacking of head coach Grant Brebner on 17 April 2021.[19]

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The Melbourne Derby on 17 December 2022 was marred by spectator misconduct, with multiple instances of flares being thrown on the pitch by supporters

On 12 December 2022, just a few days before the derby, the Australian Professional Leagues announced an agreement with Destination NSW that would see the 2023, 2024, and 2025 A-League Men Grand Finals hosted in Sydney, as opposed to the traditional format of being hosted by the finalist that finished higher during the regular season.[20] This announcement was met with widespread opposition from fans, former players and active support groups,[21][22] with Original Style Melbourne and Melbourne City Terrace, the active supporter groups of Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City respectively, agreeing to stage a walkout in the 20th minute of the Melbourne Derby on 17 December 2022 in order to protest against the APL's decision.[23]

The match was marred with poor crowd behaviour, with multiple flares ignited and thrown onto the pitch by supporters of both teams. In the 20th minute of the match, Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover threw back a flare sent from the crowd, sparking a pitch invasion which saw both Glover and referee Alex King assaulted by pitch invaders, and causing the match to be abandoned.[24][25][26] In response. Football Australia sanctioned Melbourne Victory, which included a stopping of ticket sales and closure of active support for their following two matches at AAMI Park, along with bans on Victory supporters attending their following two matches outside of Melbourne.[27] Football Australia has also contemplated forcing Melbourne Victory to play the remainder of the 2022–23 season without fans.[28] On 10 January 2023, Football Australia found that Melbourne Victory, through the actions of their supporters in the abandoned Derby, had brought the game into disrepute, and handed down a number of financial and logistical sanctions:[29]

  • A total financial sanction of $550,000 AUD, comprising $450,000 in fines and damages and $100,000 in lost revenue from the imposition of sporting sanctions
  • No organised seating for away fans for the remainder of the season and finals series.
  • No organised home active support for the remainder of the season and finals series.
  • A suspended 10 point deduction triggered for each instance of serious supporter misconduct for the remainder of the season and the next three seasons, ending at the conclusion of 2025/26 A-League season.

The 45th Melbourne Derby held on 5 May 2024 was the second ever Melbourne Derby finals match, the first in 9 years, as well as the first to be played at AAMI Park. Melbourne City enjoyed an early advantage in the match, taking the lead with a 29th minute header from Samuel Souprayen, as well as gaining a one-man advantage after Zinédine Machach was sent off in the 37th minute.[30] However, just minutes from full time, the Victory equalised through Nishan Velupillay in the 88th minute, sending the match into extra time. With neither team managing to score in extra time, the match proceeded to a penalty shootout for the first time in the fixture's history. After earlier saving a Tolgay Arslan penalty in the 19th minute, Paul Izzo made three saves in the penalty shootout in addition to scoring a penalty, helping the Victory to a 3–2 penalty shoot-out win, and ensuring that Melbourne City missed out on a place in the A-League semi-finals for the first time in five years.[31][32]

Matches

2010–2020

More information Season, Derby ...
SeasonDerby
Comp*Date
Home team
Score
Away team
Goals (home)
Goals (away)
Venue
Attendance
2010–111RS8 October 2010Heart2–1VictoryAloisi 10', Terra 56'Kruse 35'AAMI25,897
2RS11 December 2010Heart1–3VictorySibon 17'Kruse 12', 28', Srhoj 54' (o.g.)AAMI23,059
3RS22 January 2011Victory2–2HeartAllsopp 11', Hernández 30'Aloisi 45+2', 51'Etihad32,231
2011–12 4RS22 October 2011Victory0–0HeartEtihad39,309
5RS23 December 2011Heart3–2VictoryThompson 37', 39', Terra 62'Thompson 21', Hernández 90+2'AAMI26,579
6RS4 February 2012Heart0–0VictoryAAMI26,396
2012–137RS5 October 2012Victory1–2HeartRojas 24'Williams 14', Macallister 45+2'Etihad42,032
8RS22 December 2012Heart1–2VictoryFred 81'Rojas 67', Thompson 90+2'AAMI26,457
9RS2 February 2013Victory2–1HeartThompson 29', Milligan 55'Williams 72'Etihad41,203
2013–14 10RS12 October 2013Victory0–0HeartEtihad45,202
11RS21 December 2013Heart1–3VictoryKalmar 80'Nichols 28', 63', Troisi 60'AAMI26,491
12RS1 March 2014Heart4–0VictoryEngelaar 8', Dugandzic 15' Williams 83' Kewell 86'AAMI25,546
2014–15 13RS25 October 2014Victory5–2CityThompson 23', 87', Berisha 45+1', 46', 67'Wielaert 13', Hoffman 26'Etihad43,729
14RS20 December 2014City1–0VictoryPaartalu 90'AAMI26,372
15RS7 February 2015Victory3–0CityBerisha 10', Barbarouses 53', Ben Khalfallah 62'Etihad40,042
16FS8 May 2015Victory3–0CityBerisha 18', Barbarouses 30', Thompson 87'Etihad50,873
2015–16 17RS17 October 2015Victory3–2CityBen Khalfallah 23', Barbarouses 57', Berisha 90'Fornaroli 68', Mauk 71'Etihad40,217
18RS19 December 2015City2–1VictoryMauk 20', Retre 30'Berisha 45'AAMI23,572
19RS13 February 2016City2–2VictoryFornaroli 22', 31'Ben Khalfallah 29', Finkler 47'AAMI25,738
2016–17 20RS15 October 2016Victory1–4CityRojas 62'Cahill 27', Fornaroli 31', Brattan 52', Brandán 63'Etihad43,188
21CUP25 October 2016Victory0–2CityBrattan 9', Brandán 77'AAMI15,791
22RS17 December 2016City1–2VictoryCahill 16'Rojas 24' Berisha 78'AAMI24,706
23RS4 February 2017Victory2–1CityBerisha 84', Muscat 86' (o.g.)Baró 70' (o.g.)Etihad35,426
2017–18 24RS14 October 2017Victory1–2CityGeorge 55'Budzinski 45+3', Kamau 64'Etihad35,792
25RS23 December 2017City0–1VictoryMilligan 90+5' (pen.)AAMI22,515
26RS2 March 2018City1–2VictoryFornaroli 54' (pen.)Barbarouses 12', George 62'AAMI20,083
2018–19 27RS20 October 2018Victory1–2CityHonda 28'De Laet 40', McGree 70'Marvel40,505
28RS22 December 2018City1–1VictoryVidošić 90+2'Toivonen 55'AAMI24,306
29RS23 February 2019Victory1–1CityBarbarouses 50'Maclaren 16' (pen.)Marvel32,431
2019–20 30RS12 October 2019Victory0–0CityMarvel33,523
31RS21 December 2019City1–2VictoryDelbridge 56'Toivonen 15', 41'AAMI17,083
32RS7 February 2020City2–1VictoryBerenguer 8', Maclaren 71'Toivonen 78'AAMI16,872
* RS: A-League regular season, FS: A-League finals series, GF: A-League grand final, CUP: FFA Cup, AAMI: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Etihad/Marvel: Docklands Stadium
Melbourne City were known as Melbourne Heart from 2010 until 2014
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2021–present

More information Season, Derby ...
SeasonDerby
Comp*Date
Home team
Score
Away team
Goals (home)
Goals (away)
Venue
Attendance
2020–2133RS6 March 2021Victory0–6CityMaclaren 34', Berenguer 52', Griffiths 56', Metcalfe 74', 77', Colakovski 90+3'Marvel11,467[a]
34RS17 April 2021City7–0VictoryNabbout 11', Maclaren 34' (pen.), 64', 75' (pen.), 84', 85', Luna 87'AAMI14,031[b]
35RS6 June 2021Victory1–1CityBrooks 90+5'Ansell 54' (o.g.)AAMI0 (BCD)
2021–2236RS18 December 2021City2–2VictoryMaclaren 60', Nabbout 63'Margiotta 12', D'Agostino 81'AAMI19,640
37RS19 March 2022City1–1VictoryGood 45'Rojas 19'AAMI18,080
38RS9 April 2022Victory3–0CityBrimmer 7' (pen.), Rojas 14', 27'AAMI17,754
2022–2339RS22 October 2022Victory0–2 CityMaclaren 17' (pen.), Cadete 19' (o.g.)AAMI23,489
4017 December 2022
(resumed on 5 April 2023)
City2–1VictoryO'Neill 11', 57'Velupillay 89'AAMI18,036 (17 Dec), 6,423 (5 Apr)
4118 February 2023Victory3–2CityDa Silva 7', Fornaroli 46', Brillante 77'Leckie 24', 80'AAMI18,011
2023–2442RS23 December 2023City0–0VictoryAAMI25,884
4317 February 2024City0–0VictoryAAMI20,877
446 April 2024Victory2–1CityFornaroli 34' (pen.), Da Silva 86'Arslan 4'AAMI20,107
45FS5 May 2024Victory1–1 (a.e.t.)
(3–2 p)
CityVelupillay 88'Souprayen 29'AAMI21,358
2024–2546RS26 October 2024City1–3VictoryNabbout 64'Velupillay 5', Vergos 12', Teague 25'AAMI20,093
4721 December 2024Victory1–1CityRoderick 65'Cohen 16'AAMI24,053
4822 February 2025Victory2–2CityMachach 45+7' (pen.), Santos 48'Tilio 5', Trewin 70' (pen.)AAMI22,806
* RS: A-League Men regular season, FS: A-League Men finals series, GF: A-League Men grand final, CUP: FFA Cup, AAMI: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Marvel: Docklands Stadium
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Statistics

As of 22 February 2025
More information Competition, Matches ...
Competition Matches City wins Draws Victory wins City goals Victory goals
League regular season45 1415167064
League finals series2 01114
Australia Cup1 10020
Total48 1516177368
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Top goalscorers

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Jamie Maclaren is the Melbourne Derby's all-time top goalscorer with 10 goals
As of 22 February 2025
More information Player, Club ...
Player Club Goals
Australia Jamie Maclaren Melbourne City 10
Kosovo Besart Berisha Melbourne Victory 9
Australia Bruno Fornaroli Melbourne City
Melbourne Victory
7
New Zealand Marco Rojas Melbourne Victory
Australia Archie Thompson Melbourne Victory 6
New Zealand Kosta Barbarouses Melbourne Victory 5
Sweden Ola Toivonen Melbourne Victory 4
Australia John Aloisi Melbourne City 3
Tunisia Fahid Ben Khalfallah Melbourne Victory
Australia Robbie Kruse Melbourne Victory
Australia David Williams Melbourne City
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  • Players in bold are still active for their club.

Records

  • Most wins: Melbourne Victory (17)
  • Biggest win: Melbourne City 7–0 Melbourne Victory (17 April 2021)
  • Most consecutive wins: 3, Melbourne Victory (7 February 2015 – 17 October 2015), Melbourne City (7 February 2020 – 17 April 2021)
  • Most consecutive matches undefeated: 8, Melbourne Victory (18 February 2023 – present, excluding 17 December 2022 match resumption on 5 April 2023)
  • Most consecutive games without a draw: 8, (21 December 2013 – 19 December 2015, 15 October 2016 – 20 October 2018)
  • Most consecutive draws: 3, (22 December 2018 – 21 December 2019, 6 June 2021 – 19 March 2022)
  • Highest goalscorer: 10, Jamie Maclaren
  • Highest goalscorer in one match: 5, Jamie Maclaren (17 April 2021)
  • Player with most consecutive matches scored: 4, Besart Berisha (7 February 2015 – 19 December 2015)
  • Highest attendance: 50,873 (8 May 2015)
  • Lowest attendance (excluding behind closed doors): 11,467 (6 March 2021)

Honors

As of 16 April 2023
More information Competition ...
Competition Melbourne City Melbourne Victory
A-League Men Premiership 3 3
A-League Men Championship 1 4
Australia Cup 1 2
Total 5 9
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Players who played for both clubs

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Thumb
Bruno Fornaroli represented Melbourne City, before going on to represent Melbourne Victory
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Mate Dugandžić became the first player to transfer directly between the two Melbourne clubs, when he joined Melbourne Heart from Melbourne Victory in February 2011
As of 8 April 2025
More information Player, Span ...
Player Melbourne City career Melbourne Victory career
Span League
apps
League
goals
Span League
apps
League
goals
Australia Aziz Behich 2010–2014, 2023–present 99 2 2009–2010 5 0
Australia Oliver Bozanic 2018 9 0 2015–2017 48 5
Australia Joshua Brillante 2019–2020 28 1 2021–2023 33 3
Australia Mate Dugandžić 2011–2015 75 13 2009–2011 37 7
Brazil Fred 2011–2013 38 3 2006–2007 20 4
Australia Scott Galloway 2019–present 92 4 2013–2016 54 1
North Macedonia Daniel Georgievski 2021 3 0 2014–2017 67 3
Australia Brendan Hamill 2010–2012 35 1 2021–2022 17 2
Australia Harry Kewell 2013–2014 16 2 2011–2012 25 8
Australia Anthony Lesiotis 2018–2019, 2021–2022 3 0 2019–2020 23 0
Australia Andrew Nabbout 2020–present 83 11 2012–2015, 2019–2020 62 13
Australia Kristian Sarkies 2010–2012 11 2 2005–2007 35 3
Australia Tando Velaphi 2013–2015 22 0 2011–2013 3 0
Australia Bruno Fornaroli 2015–2019 70 48 2022–present 42 25
Australia Bruce Kamau 2016–2018 42 4 2023 2 0
Australia Connor Chapman 2014–2017 35 1 2023–present 37 1
Australia Daniel Arzani 2016–2018 24 2 2023–present 31 4
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A-League Women

Summarize
Perspective

Matches

The Victory and City women's teams also compete in the A-League Women (formerly the W-League[33]) and occasionally have 'double headers' where the men's teams play after the women's teams.

2015–2020

More information Season, Derby ...
SeasonDerby
Comp*Date
Home team
Score
Away team
Goals (home)
Goals (away)
Venue
Attendance
2015–161RS25 October 2015City2–1VictoryTabain 48', Luik 72' (pen.)Knight 90+2'AAMI2,311
2RS6 December 2015Victory0–4CityBeattie 35', Crummer 52', 72', Little 79' Bulleen
2016–17 3 RS 27 November 2016 City 3–0 Victory Fishlock 64', 77', Catley 75' AAMI 1,943
4 RS 15 January 2017 Victory 2–0 City Dowie 1', Nairn 31' Epping 467
2017–18 5 RS 3 November 2017 City 1–0 Victory Stott 82' AAMI 3,510
6 RS 14 January 2018 Victory 2–1 City Ayres 71', Gibbons 86' Luik 63' Epping 1,143
2018–19 7 RS 16 November 2018 City 0–2 Victory Kellond-Knight 31' (o.g.), Gielnik 65' AAMI 1,619
8 RS 5 January 2019 Victory 1–0 City Nairn 88' Epping 1,265
2019–20 9 RS 12 December 2019 City 1–0 Victory Kinga 89' ABD 907
10 RS 13 February 2020 Victory 0–4 City Van Egmond 21', Emslie 31', 50', Simon 57' Lakeside 1,097
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2021–present

More information Season, Derby ...
SeasonDerby
Comp*Date
Home team
Score
Away team
Goals (home)
Goals (away)
Venue
Attendance
2020–2111RS10 January 2021City0-6 VictoryLongo 15', Ayres 29', De Vanna 72', Jackson 80', Zimmerman 90', Cooney-Cross 90+2' CB Smith729
12RS17 January 2021Victory2–3CityMelinda Barbieri 47', Zimmerman 51'Chidiac 22', Bunge 25' (o.g.), Withers 86' Epping1,034
2021–22 13 RS 12 December 2021 City 1–2 Victory Jackson 49' (o.g.) Zimmerman 65', Williams 70' AAMI 1,092
14 RS 26 December 2021 Victory 1-5 City Markovski 84' Wilkinson 5', 13', 26', 56', 75' AAMI 4,682
15 FS 20 March 2022 City 1–3 Victory Tumeth 80' Ayres 30', Bunge 47', Privitelli 53' AAMI 1,306
2022–23 16 RS 15 January 2023 City 1–1 Victory Wilkinson 37' Chidiac 13' Casey Fields 506
17 RS 13 March 2023 Victory 2–0 City Ayres 16' (pen.), Zois 20' AAMI 1,655
18 FS 15 April 2023 City 3–3 (a.e.t.)
(1–4 p)
Victory Pollicina 40', 79', Wilkinson 90+7' Ayres 53' (pen.), 67', 72' Casey Fields 742
2023–24 19 RS 23 December 2023 City 1–0 Victory Ekic 10' AAMI 6,286
20 RS 17 March 2024 Victory 0–0 City Home of The Matildas 2,012
2024–2521RS9 November 2024Victory2–3CityGielnik 20' (pen.), Jančevski 42'Speckmaier 6', 85', Bosch 64'AAMI3,850
221 February 2025City1–1VictorySpeckmaier 89'Lowe 5'ctrl:cyber Pitch1,565
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Statistics

Matchup history

More information Competition, Matches ...
Competition Matches City wins Draws Victory wins
League regular season20 1037
League finals series2 011
Total 22 10 4 8
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Women's honours

More information Competition ...
Competition Melbourne City Melbourne Victory
A-League Women Premiership 3 1
A-League Women Championship 4 3
Total 7 4
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Combined honours

More information Competition, Men's total ...
Competition Melbourne City Melbourne Victory
A-League Men Premiership 3 3
A-League Men Championship 1 4
Australia Cup 1 2
Men's total 5 9
A-League Women Premiership 3 1
A-League Women Championship 4 3
Women's total 7 4
Total A-League Premiership 6 4
Total A-League Championship 5 7
Australia Cup 1 2
Total 12 13
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See also

Notes

  1. Capacity of the stadium was reduced by 50% due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. Capacity of the stadium was reduced by 25% due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

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