Adelaide United Head Coach Airton Andrioli has called for a response for the fans as the Reds prepare for Sunday’s massive Original Rivalry against Melbourne Victory at Coopers Stadium.
Following the return from Singapore, Andrioli said the squad’s focus is firmly on rewarding the supporters in United’s first home match of the A-League Men season.
Speaking ahead of the clash, he discussed the team’s preparation, the significance of the rivalry and the determination to return to winning ways.
On preparing after the trip home…
“Tough trip back, but we just came back yesterday [Friday]. Obviously, the boys had a light session this morning [Saturday].
“We just went through a few things on the video that we want to do for tomorrow.
“We’re just fully focused on the game tomorrow.”
On delivering a response for the supporters…
“Tomorrow is all about a response. We play football because of our fans. Without the fans, the sport doesn’t exist.
“Our mentality for tomorrow is to make sure that we stand up and know that we’re going to have a full house of people that love us playing football.
“Above all things, we’re going to do this for our supporters, and we need a response tomorrow.”
On the significance of the Original Rivalry…
“Everybody knows how big this game is, how important it is.
“We spoke about this today in the meeting this morning, that tomorrow is about responding and making sure that we reward our supporters, who are going to be here tomorrow in big numbers, with a result.
“Whichever way that comes, it’s about responding.”
On the start to the season…
“We’ve played two rounds, and we’ve played some games in Asia, so from that perspective, it’s early.
“We’ve got a long season ahead of us, but in saying that, we want to start winning football matches. So we know what’s in front of us.
“Tough schedule, whatever it is, but no excuses.
“Tomorrow, as I said, we need to do this for our supporters, and the players are fully aware of that.
“We spoke about that this morning, and we’re expecting that the players will be ready for this big game tomorrow.”
Match details
Adelaide United v Melbourne Victory
Isuzu UTE A-League Men — Matchweek Four
Sunday 8 November 2026
Coopers Stadium, Hindmarsh
Kick-off: 4:30pm ACDT
Watch live on Paramount+
