90 min: Brisbane are still fighting as three minutes of added time are flashed up on the board.

87 min: McKay is struggling here. He’s limping about, possibly something to do with his left leg. He’s going to stay on the pitch for the time being and try to see this one through though.

85 min: Off the bar! Mooy nearly gets the goal so he richly deserves, but his measured effort from the edge of the box cannons back off the woodwork!

83 min: This will be a fantastic result for City. And a well-deserved one at that. But you have to feel sorry for the Roar, who have had countless chances and come up against a goalkeeper in Andrew Redmayne who has put in a sterling performance.

80 min: Here comes the man who doesn’t like to be classed as the ‘new Besart Berisha’ (oops) - Mensur Kurtishi is on, Lustica off.

78 min: Oooh! What an effort from Mooy! He blasts a shot towards the top corner and Young has to be at his best to tip over for a City corner.

77 min: The ref comes across to the City bench and he brandishes a yellow card, possibly to Dugandzic. No idea what for, must have been something he said. And, in the manner of a spotty schoolboy, he and his mates crack up laughing. Deary me.

76 min: Just under fifteen minutes remaining at Suncorp, and it looks like we’re in for a thrilling finish.

75 min: City make another change now as Williams is replaced by Marc Marino.

73 min: Brattan lets fly from distance and Redmayne is almost fooled by a deflection. But the keeper recovers well and gets down to make the save.

70 min: Not a bad turnout in the end tonight.

69 min: Amid all that excitement, I forget to tell you that James Brown has grooved onto the pitch, as the expense of Dugandzic.

68 min: Actually, I may be doing a disservice to Borrello – replays show it to be a cute header, not at all a lucky deflection, and there’s every way he meant to do that. Great way to open your account!

66 min: Substitute Melling goes into the book moments before Lustica blasts over the bar after getting to the ball ahead of his marker from a cross. They’re knocking on the door.

65 min: And then McKay connects sweetly on the edge of the area but his rising effort flies over the frame of the goal.

63 min: More woeful defending, this time from City, as they allow the ball to run all the way through a bunch of legs until it reaches Henrique. He must score! But he stabs wide of the upright. Offside anyway, wouldn’t have counted. But another example of how things just aren’t going Brisbane’s way tonight.

61 min: There’s still goals in this one. Why? I can feel it in my bones. (And both defences have got more holes than a tranche of Swiss cheese.)

60 min: And what an introduction that nearly is! Melling plays a neat one-two before setting himself and unleashing a shot that Young has to tip over the bar! So close to a third.

59 min: Off goes Retre, on comes Jacob Melling as City make their first change of the night.

57 min: Here come the Roar again, but this time the move breaks down following a mis-timed pass from, of all people, Broich.

55 min: Phil Withall has been in touch, thanks for that Phil, nice to have you on board. Your pain is understandable, but who are your scapegoats? I need names.

53 min: Thanks to Brisbane’s social media manager...

51 min: Great chance for Brisbane to get back into this one! McKay unleashes a volley that Redmayne does very well to get down to and save. The ball is scrambled clear and City breathe again, although the signs are there that the Roar can pull one back.

49 min: ICYMI (that’s, in case you missed it, ICYDNU – in case you didn’t understand), Melbourne Victory came back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Newcastle earlier today. Read the full match report from the Hunter Stadium here.

47 min: I’m not so sure City needed to make two changes at the break – they weren’t doing badly going forward, although admittedly Hingert was struggling at the back. Apparently Petratros was suffering from the remnants of an illness, so perhaps that one was enforced on Mike Mulvey.

43 min: Broich looks to find a way through City’s defence as the first half draws to a close. But there’s enough bodies back there to make life difficult for the German and the hosts’ frustration continues.

41 min: It opens up a bit for Retre here and the youngster sets his sights on goal. But his effort is way over Young’s bar and his look afterwards says it all – something along the lines of ‘that was a bit crap’.

38 min: And having said that, inevitably, the game enters a bit of a lull, just before half-time.

35 min: I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting too much from this game. Two sides yet to find their stride this season, no David Villa… but it’s been something of a rip-roarer so far. I’m happy to eat my hat.

32 min: Young nearly makes a hash of a routine clearance – actually he does make a hash of it, but he gets away with conceding just a corner after he failed to release the ball quick enough.

30 min: So, half an hour on the clock and City are sitting pretty at 2-0 up, but Brisbane are hardly lying down and taking the punishment. They’re threatening with nearly every attack, and a goal may not be too far away.

29 min: The Roar win another free-kick, a bit further out from that previous one. Petratos takes it, but his attempted dink to an orange shirt in the box is poor and the City backline are able to head clear.

26 min: Best chance of the game so far for Brisbane! That was like the Roar of old as Broich beautifully took down a pass to him before finding Stefanutto who in turn centred for Lustica, who must surely score! But his sidefooted effort is straight at Redmayne, who doesn’t really have to do much more than stand tall with his arms arms to repel the shot.

23 min: A long ball is sent over into City’s box… Henrique’s lurking but he can’t quite direct his headed goalwards. Instead, it pings off the top of his head and City are able to clear.

21 min: Retre was booked for not getting his yards on that previous free-kick. That’s just a silly booking, and one he may regret later in the match. Just ask Chris Smalling.

20 min: A chance now for Roar as they are awarded a free-kick, about 25 yards out. Brattan steps up to take it, but it’s straight at Redmayne, who gets the body right behind the ball and collects easily enough.

19 min: There are signs that Brisbane are coming back into this one now. In fact, it’s been an open, er, opening to the game – plenty of chances at either end.

18 min: Another chance for the hosts! Lustica this time lets fly and Redmayne is again forced into a diving stop to repel the effort.

17 min: Ooh! Chance for the Roar! Stefanutto hangs up a deep cross to the back stick where Petratos is lurking with intent, but his volley is wayward and the ball is sent off target.

16 min: Petratos cuts inside from the right wing and sends over a decent cross but it’s collected without too much fuss by Redmayne and City can build from the back.

14 min: This is very encouraging for City, but they have taken the lead in games already this season, and failed to hang on.

13 min: Now Mooy gets a sight of goal and lets off a pot shot. It’s wide of the mark this time, but Brisbane’s back line are all over the place at the moment.

11 min: What a sensational start to the match for the visitors. David who?

6 min: Oooh! First chance of the match as Redmayne is forced to tip over the bar from Brattan’s stinging effort from 25 yards!

5 min: That’s a poor clearance by Redmayne, who finds touch when he should really be finding at man. Or at the very least the pitch.

4 min: Brisbane exchange some neat passes in the middle of the park, but it comes to nought as City break up the move.

3 min: City now, with Williams, threaten for a moment. But the stand-in striker can’t beat the last man and the move breaks down as quickly as it materialised.

2 min: Immediately the Roar look to press forward – exactly the kind of tempo they need to impose early in this game.

Here come the teams into a disappointingly empty-looking Suncorp. Brisbane look resplendent in their all-orange kit; Melbourne are in their white kit with vertical blue stripe. Fireworks go off as the players enter the ground and the pyrotechnics are quickly followed by that tribute to Johnny Warren, complete with rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Just a couple minutes to go before kick-off. The betting man has just made a brief appearance on the telly and he reckons the Roar are hot favourites tonight. A 1-0 or 2-1 win for the hosts is currently coming in at $8. That view is backed up by the stats too.

So, while we await kick-off in Brisbane, there’s probably time to remind ourselves of what happened in last season’s fixtures between these two clubs.

The legendary Johnny Warren will again be remembered tonight, in what has become the customary fashion at football stadia across the world – applause is so much more fitting than silence.

And why not have a read of Pete Smith’s excellent tribute to a man he labels “Australia’s strongest and most passionate voice”.

It’s not only Villa whose departure was making the news this week – another former star of the European leagues has been jettisoned to seek his fortune in pastures new (maybe Malaysian pastures). While Villa’s departure was accompanied by plenty of back-slapping and messages of good luck, Liam Miller’s exit from the Roar was as acrimonious as it was surprising. The former Manchester United midfielder (really, that’s the last time I refer to him like that - he only made nine appearances for United in a career that has spanned 14 years. It’s like calling Francis Jeffers an England international – technically true, but grossly misleading) left the club by “mutual consent” after a row over his demotion from the side, managerial “disrespect” and a mystery calf injury. No wonder there is talk of disquiet behind the scenes in Queensland. And no wonder, perhaps, the team is struggling so badly.

Mike will be here shortly to accompany you through the evening at Suncorp Stadium, but while he wends his way to his keyboard, here’s what Paul Connolly thinks of the departure of David Villa from Melbourne City.

It seems ludicrous to suggest that any team would be better off without one of the world’s best players, but perhaps the exit of Villa will initiate a change of fortune at City.

Read more from Paul’s weekend preview here.