Auckland put on a commanding display in the opening leg of their A-League semi-final, and now return home with a valuable advantage as they prepare to host Melbourne Victory in New Zealand this weekend.
In their debut campaign, Auckland have exceeded expectations and then some. Operating under the Bill Foley multi-club ownership umbrella—alongside outfits like AFC Bournemouth and FC Lorient—the newcomers have taken the competition by storm, setting the pace and leading the league standings throughout the regular season.
Melbourne Victory, meanwhile, have taken a far more winding road to the semis. Backed in part by Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom, the Victory only just secured a top-six finish before edging past Western Sydney Wanderers in the elimination round. Now, they’ll need to dig deep to overturn Auckland’s lead and keep their title hopes alive.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this A–League clash, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and all the latest team news.
Where to watch Auckland FC vs. Melbourne Victory: Live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this A-League men's match in Australia.
- Live Stream: Paramount+
- TV Channel: —
This match is not available for live TV broadcast in Australia. Streaming options are available exclusively on Paramount+.
Fans can tune into this match both live and on demand with a subscription to Paramount+, who are offering a free trial for new customers on their streaming service.
Auckland FC vs. Melbourne Victory start time
This A-League Men's game takes place at the Go Media Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand and kicks off on Saturday, May 24 at 4:00 p.m. local time (AEST).
Here's how that kick-off time translates to the various Australian time zones:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Australian Eastern Standard Time | Sat, May 24 | 4:00 p.m. |
| Australian Central Standard Time | Sat, May 24 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Australian Western Standard Time | Sat, May 24 | 2:00 p.m. |
A-League Men fixture schedule this week
All times AEST
Saturday, May 24
- Auckland F.C. vs. Melbourne Victory (4:00 p.m.)
Sunday, May 25
- Melbourne City F.C. vs. Western United (3:35 p.m.)