Despite going behind against the run of play, Melbourne Victory secured a 2-1 win over Macarthur due to their commitment to playing an exciting, attacking brand of football. Head coach Patrick Kisnorbo's decision to deploy Reno Piscopo as a number 10 instead of a traditional winger paid off, culminating in the latter scoring an early contender for goal of the season.
Reno Piscopo (centre) in action against Macarthur in Round 3 of the 2024/25 A-League Men season. (Image: The Sporting WALL Facebook)
As a team, Melbourne Victory dominated the first half on Sunday, with an impressive nine total shots and completing just under 300 passes. Long-time A-Leagues viewers will recognise similarities between this Melbourne Victory team and Kisnorbo’s previous Melbourne City side, which won two premierships and a championship—known for their hard work and physicality out of possession, and their ability to control a game’s tempo in possession, Kisnorbo's teams usually offer one of the toughest challenges in the league. Melbourne Victory appears to be laying the foundations of following this trend.
A common criticism of Kisnorbo has been his lack of tactical fluidity. He has a clear philosophy for how he wants his teams to play but has sometimes struggled to adapt when plan A needs to be altered or to tailor a strategy to suit the opposition better. Kisnorbo has seemed to consider these criticisms since becoming Melbourne Victory's head coach. While he still favours his usual 4-2-3-1 formation, at times, it resembles a 3-4-3 in possession, with left-back Kasey Bos pushing higher up the pitch to create width on the left side.
Melbourne Victory looked dominant in the first half against Macarthur, aiming to create a numerical advantage in midfield by allowing Reno Piscopo to drift inside as a left-sided attacking midfielder alongside Zinedine Machach, resulting in the formation of a box midfield with the defensive midfield pivot of Ryan Teague and Jordi Valadon. With Macarthur adopting a traditional 4-4-2 formation out of possession, Victory was able to dominate the game, creating numerous scoring opportunities but lacking the finishing touch to put the match away early.
A diagram of how Melbourne Victory set up in possession during the first half.
Piscopo stood out, serving as the creative engine in Victory’s midfield.
In the win over Macarthur, he created four chances and completed 94% of his passes. After struggling with fitness over the last few seasons, the 26-year-old seems rejuvenated since returning to his hometown of Melbourne.
A youth product of Inter Milan, he spent six years at the Italian club before moving to Torino and then having a brief stint at the lower-league club Renate.
Piscopo made his mark in the A-League Men at Wellington Phoenix, where he spent three seasons and quickly became a key player in the team’s success during this period. After leaving Wellington, he moved to the Newcastle Jets, but persistent injuries meant he struggled to find consistent form.
With Melbourne Victory boasting a formidable attack, Piscopo is playing with a newfound confidence. This system allows him to find space between the lines and utilize his top-class technical ability to break down opposing defences effectively.
When asked about Piscopo’s performance, Kisnorbo was pleased but assured reporters that there is much room for improvement.
"Reno's goal was great, but the pressure on the ball to gain that ball to pass to Reno was exceptional," Kisnorbo said post-match.
"Over the pre-season, and now the season, he's really fought to get himself in the team through hard work, which is great, and he needs to continue that.
"Regardless of the goal, which was nice, I thought his work on and off the ball was great."
A side effect of Piscopo’s re-emergence is finding a consistent place for Daniel Arzani in the starting side. Arzani arguably had a career-best year last season, but since Kisnorbo assumed the role, he has yet to start a league fixture.
Arzani is a more traditional winger who prefers to receive the ball wide near the touchline, usually on the left, before cutting inside onto his stronger right foot to attack the goal. In the second half, he came on for Machach, who struggled to impact the game. After the change, Melbourne Victory reverted to a more conventional 4-2-3-1 formation in possession, which worked but appeared less dangerous than the 3-4-3 used in the first half.
A diagram of how Melbourne Victory set up in possession once Arzani was introduced.
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When asked about Arzani’s role in the team, Kisnorbo mentioned that the Socceroo and Piscopo are versatile enough to be both attacking midfielders and traditional wingers.
“I think they are both versatile. I think both can play either or, as a winger or inverted winger, and as an attacking midfielder,” Kisnorbo said.
“So again, we have the options, which is great. There is competition. Before Reno scored the goal, he was playing as a winger. We adapted that way. But we know both of them can play several roles for us.”
It will be fascinating to see how Kisnorbo uses Piscopo and Arzani when Melbourne Victory faces Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park next. The match will kick off at 5 pm AEDT on Saturday, November 9.
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