Tonight's Round 5 Nike FC Cup fixture draw served up some tantalising match-ups to look forward to across the first two weeks of June as the competition reaches the final 16-teams.
The first match drawn was an all-Senol NPLW matchup between Melbourne City FC and Box Hill United. We got a taste of what to expect from this clash between the two top-flight sides over the weekend, but City will be hoping for a very different result after falling to the reigning league champions 5-1.
Next up is an all-South-East showdown between the winner of the Bentleigh Greens and Seaford hosting a Beaumaris SC side who have slotted a remarkable 18-goals from their two cup matches so far. Wednesday's match between Bentleigh and Seaford will be streamed on the FV YouTube channel.
The Preston Lions will welcome a red-hot FC Clifton Hill side who currently sits top of the table in the VPLW and are fresh off a dominant 11-0 win over Kings Domain in Round 4.
Last year's Steph Catley Plate winners Caroline Springs George Cross will have to claim a major scalp if they are to move through to the Quarter Finals of the Nike FC Cup after drawing the winner of Heidelberg United and Avondale FC, a match that will be streamed on the FV YouTube channel tomorrow night.
Our second all-Senol NPLW matchup of the draw will be played out between Keilor Park and South Melbourne. Despite struggling to find their footing the NPLW since being promoted last year, Keilor Park will take plenty of confidence into this one after forcing a tense 0-0 draw from the reigning Nike FC Cup champs earlier this month.
Craigieburn City have been one of the surprise stories out of the cup so far, knocking off Monash University, Bendigo City and Fawkner to get to Round 5. But they'll have their work cut out for them when they welcome Senol NPLW powerhouse Alamein who looked strong in their 3-0 win over Bundoora United in Round 4.
Eltham Redbacks have had a strong start to their 2026 campaign in all competitions, currently sitting in second place in the VPLW and winning through to Round 5 after beating fellow VPLW side Ballarat City 6-1. They'll need to be at their best when they take on an Essendon Royals side who hasn't lost a match in any competition since March.
The final match drawn is our last all-NPLW match up with Spring Hills hosting and FC Bulleen side who have really worked into the 2026 season and currently find themselves second on the league ladder.
Every Round 5 match in the Nike FC Cup will be streamed on the Football Victoria YouTube channel and can be played between Tuesday June 2 and Sunday June 14.
Fixtures will be confirmed and shared over the coming days.