The Melbourne A-League Men's sides have advanced to the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 16 after victories away from home on Sunday.
Read our review of the action below.
Weston Bears 0 – 3 Melbourne City
Melbourne City have defeated Weston Bears 3-0 to advance to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2023.
City named a young starting eleven, with nine of their starting side academy graduates. It was one of those graduates, Lawrence Wong, who gave them the lead early. It was a lovely strike from just outside of the penalty area into the bottom corner of the net.
Weston pushed for an equaliser in the first half, with the likes of Luke McCormick and Blake Archbold creating golden opportunities. Their endeavour was reflected in the evenness of the half-time stats when it comes to bith shots and possession.
The A-League Men’s side, though, showed their quality in the second half. 17-year-old Besian Kutleshi arrowed an unconventional finish into the bottom corner from just inside the penalty area in the 80th minute, before Medin Memeti sealed the result after getting on the end of a ball over the top from Andrew Nabbout.
It was a compelling contest and a promising showing from the Northern New South Wales side in their second appearance in the national stages of the cup.
Kingborough Lions United 0 – 4 Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory have advanced to the Round of 16 with a 4-0 victory over Tasmania’s Kingborough Lions United.
German defender Phillip Ziereis gave them the lead early, scoring his first Victory goal in his first competitive appearance for the club after a corner.
Kingborough fought hard in the first half. Joel Badger in particular looked impressive – his close-range free kick only just skimming over the crossbar – and a number of teammates gave solid showings against A-League Men opposition.
However, Victory would double their lead before half-time. Matthew Grimaldi got on the end of a cutback from the byline to finish well and make it two.
Goals for Clarismario Santos – a wonderful first touch to find space, and clinical finish – and Keegan Jelacic from a corner sealed the result for the visitors.
While Victory were too strong, it was a lively showing in front of a large crowd in Tasmania that will give Kingborough confidence for the remainder of their NPL Tasmania season.
The Melbourne A-League Men's clubs get their Hahn Australia Cup 2026 campaigns underway on Sunday, taking on opposition from Northern NSW and Tasmania in two intriguing contests.
Read our preview of the Round of 32 action below.
Weston Bears v Melbourne City
Kick-off: 2pm AEST
Venue: Hunter City Motor Group Stadium
Broadcast: 10.com.au, YouTube
Tickets
Northern NSW’s Weston Bears return to the national stages of the Hahn Australia Cup for the second consecutive year, taking on A-League Men’s side Melbourne City on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears defeated the Edgeworth Eagles 1-0 in qualifying, a goal for Brock Beveridge proving the difference. Weston has had a good season in the league, challenging for the title, and will be hoping to continue the growth they have shown as a club over the past few seasons with a ‘Cupset’ victory in the Round of 32.
Melbourne City are one-time winners of the competition, having lifted the trophy in 2016. The team started pre-season on July 7 ahead of this game and will be hoping to snap a poor run of losses in the Round of 32 for the last two campaigns.
Aurelio Vidmar is expected to play a mixture of youth and experience as the team begins their 2026/27 season.
Kingborough Lions United v Melbourne Victory
Kick-off: 5pm AEST
Venue: Kitchen Centre Park
Broadcast: Paramount+
Tickets
Sunday afternoon sees another Hahn Australia Cup debutant on the national stage, with Tasmania’s Kingborough Lions United taking on A-League Men’s opposition in Melbourne Victory.
The Lions earned their place in the Round of 32 after winning their first-ever Lakoseljac Cup in June. They staged a dramatic late comeback against Devonport City, equalising with the final kick of regulation time, before overcoming their opponents in a penalty shootout.
Kingborough are currently second in the Tasmanian NPL behind South Hobart and are well and truly challenging for the title. Joel Badger is their top scorer on 15 goals and will be the key man if they are to put the ball in the back of the net against Victory.
For Melbourne Victory, this match marks the beginning of the Giovanni Savarese era, with the new Head Coach announced in June. That adds a significant layer of intrigue for the two-time Hahn Australia Cup winners.
They will be hoping to go at least one better than last year, where they fell in the Round of 32, while also beginning to stamp a new style of football on their play in their first competitive fixture of the season.
