The road to the Hahn Australia Cup Quarter Finals is taking us north once again.
Following Thursday night’s Round of 16 draw, Melbourne City has been paired with NPL Queensland powerhouse Lions FC, setting up another away trip as our Cup campaign continues.
We booked our place in the last 16 with a composed 3-0 victory over Weston Bears FC last weekend, where Academy graduates Lawrence Wong, Besian Kutleshi and Medin Memeti all found the back of the net to send us through in style.
Now, another exciting challenge awaits.
The Round of 16 clash will mark the first-ever meeting between City and Lions FC, with a place in the Quarter Finals on the line.
One of the country’s strongest NPL clubs, Lions have enjoyed another outstanding campaign in their home state and currently sit atop the NPL Queensland table with just three matches remaining in the regular season.
They’ll also head into the Cup tie full of confidence after producing one of the biggest results of the Round of 32, eliminating Perth Glory in a dramatic penalty shootout.
For City, the opportunity is clear.
A win would secure a place in the Australia Cup Quarter Finals for the first time since 2023 and continue a promising start to the new campaign under Aurelio Vidmar.
Thursday night’s draw also mapped out the road ahead, with the winner of our Round of 16 clash set to face either North Sunshine Eagles or Heidelberg United in the Quarter Finals.
Should we progress, it would mark City’s first Australia Cup fixture in Victoria since 2023, albeit as the away side.
Round of 16 fixtures are scheduled to be played between 8-12 August. With City set to face Palermo in Perth on Friday 7 August and Lions FC currently scheduled for NPL Queensland action the following evening, our Cup clash is expected to fall later in that window, with full fixture details to be confirmed in the coming days.
Stay tuned to our website and social channels for confirmation of the fixture details as soon as they’re announced.
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