Sydney: Western Sydney Wanderers crashed to their heaviest A-League defeat to Melbourne Victory on Friday, a fortnight before their AFC Champions League final with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.
Victory smashed Wanderers 4-1, with their first three goals coming in the opening 28 minutes against a flat-footed Western Sydney defence.
New-boys Matthieu Delpierre and Besart Berisha were on the scoresheet along with Leigh Broxham and evergreen striker Archie Thompson in a rousing start to the new season for the two-time A-League champions.
Mark Bridge reduced the deficit before half-time but there was no denying Victory, with Berisha, in his first match since switching from champions Brisbane Roar, turning provider to thread Thompson through for 4-1.
Wanderers clearly missed their defensive linchpin Nikolai Topor-Stanley, away on international duty with the Socceroos, along with Australian World Cup defender Matthew Spiranovic and first-choice striker Tomi Juric.
Wanderers will have home advantage in the first leg of the two-leg final against Al Hilal on October 25, with the second leg in Saudi Arabia on November 1.
