Melbourne City is back in Cup action on Tuesday night, travelling to Queensland to face Lions FC with a place in the Hahn Australia Cup Quarter Finals up for grabs.
The high-flying NPL Queensland outfit stands between Aurelio Vidmar’s side and a spot in the final eight, with City looking to build on our Round of 32 win and continue a positive start to the new campaign.
Here are a few things to look out for ahead of Tuesday night’s clash.
A quick turnaround from Friday
There hasn’t been much time to put the feet up.
Just four days after facing Palermo FC in Perth, City will be back on the road and returning to competitive action in Queensland.
Friday night marked a historic first meeting between the two City Football Group clubs, with Palermo ultimately claiming the Anglo-Palermitan Trophy following a 2-0 win at the Sam Kerr Football Centre.
Vidmar and his coaching staff clearly had one eye on Tuesday night, fielding two completely different XIs either side of half-time and ensuring plenty of players gained valuable minutes against quality Italian opposition.
Nathaniel Atkinson again led the side and impressed throughout the opening 45 minutes, while Harrison Delbridge produced another strong showing at the heart of defence.
There were plenty putting their hands up after the break too, with Roland Ballah lively in attack, Andrew Nabbout threatening in the final third and new signing Macklin Freke producing a handful of impressive saves in his first appearance in City colours.
With just a few days separating the two fixtures, those managed minutes could prove valuable come Tuesday night.
Keeping the Cup run alive
Another Cup tie, another trip north.
After travelling to Northern New South Wales to begin our campaign against Weston Bears FC, this time it’s Queensland calling as City looks to book a place in the Quarter Finals.
Our Round of 32 clash saw a trio of Academy graduates find the back of the net, with Lawrence Wong, Besian Kutleshi and Medin Memeti sealing a composed 3-0 victory and another memorable afternoon for the City Academy.
A very different challenge now awaits.
Lions FC has been flying in the NPL Queensland this season, sitting six points clear at the top of the table with just one game remaining.
And if anyone needed reminding of the threat they pose, the Round of 32 provided it.
Lions have already claimed one A-League scalp in this year’s competition, holding their nerve to eliminate Perth Glory in a dramatic penalty shootout and secure their place in the final 16.
They’ll have home advantage again on Tuesday night and certainly won’t fear another crack at A-League opposition.
City will need to be at our best, with a place in the final eight and the opportunity to keep chasing some early-season silverware on the line.
Competition for spots heating up
It may only be August, but the fight for starting spots is already getting interesting.
Vidmar has largely relied on a young core throughout the opening weeks of pre-season, but several experienced names are beginning to return to the fold.
Club captain Aziz Behich and Mathew Leckie were back on the training pitch last week following an extended break after the FIFA World Cup, while Brazilian midfielder Matheus Rossetto also joined his new teammates for the first time.
Tuesday night may still come too soon for the trio as they continue building their match fitness, but their return adds another layer of competition for places in the weeks ahead.
New signing Awer Mabil is also set to arrive in Melbourne this week, while young trio Ben Mazzeo, Ale Lopane and Quinn MacNicol are edging closer to returns after missing recent fixtures with minor injury concerns.
For those who do get the nod against Lions, the message is pretty simple: make it count.
With plenty of quality waiting in the wings, every opportunity to impress suddenly carries a little extra weight.
Fixture Details
Australia Cup: Round of 16
Lions FC v Melbourne City FC
Spencer Park
Tuesday 11 August, 7:30pm
Live and free via YouTube or 10 streaming
