Waitakere have enjoyed dominance over City in domestic football this season, notching a win and a draw in the regular season, bookended by victories in the ASB Charity Cup and ASB Premiership finals.
Auckland City midfielder Alex Feneridis says it’s a positive that another derby match has come around so soon and believes the edge that separates the two sides is almost negligible.
“Waitakere have won the ASB Premiership in the last few years and well done to them,” he says.
“But when you go through our most recent games with them, they have been decided on only one or two key moments, be it wayward finishing or decisions that go against you. The edge each club enjoys is not a major one when you break it all down.”
Feneridis missed Auckland’s first match, a 2-0 win over Mont-Dore in Noumea, due to suspension but returns for the side’s second away game.
Coach Ramon Tribulietx is pleased with how his team is looking after the disappointment of the national league final defeat.
“We’ve started the Champions League well and the team is shaping up nicely with a few tactical readjustments for this competition, especially out of possession. The new players are fitting in quickly,” he says.
“We competed well in New Caledonia and we hope to be able to compete well again on Sunday.”
Tribulietx is wary of drawing too many conclusions from Waitakere’s opening day scoreless draw with Dragon last Saturday.
“Dragon are meant to be a good team and I’m pretty sure they will be very tough when we play them in a fortnight. Keeping Waitakere scoreless is not an easy task and Dragon have managed to do it,” he says.
“I know how hard it is to play in the islands and we are happy with the game we played in Noumea so it is a good start for us. But that is all it is, only the start of the competition.”
Auckland City gave OFC Champions League debuts to Darren White and Gustavo Souto last week, while Waitakere’s raft of new recruits have yet to take their Oceania bow, a list that includes Bill Robertson, Chris Palmer, Billy Colton and former All White midfielder Jeremy Christie.

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