In an exciting night of football during the 2026 Australia Cup Round of 32, three Isuzu UTE A-League clubs faced off against their opponents. The Newcastle Jets, the reigning champions, traveled to Melbourne to take on NPL Victoria's Preston Lions, while Perth Glory made the long journey to Queensland to face Lions FC. Additionally, Sydney FC began their cup campaign against Bayswater City in Western Australia.

Preston Lions Upset Newcastle Jets

In a thrilling encounter, Preston Lions made history by securing their place in the Australia Cup Round of 16 for the first time after defeating the Newcastle Jets 3-2. The Jets initially took control of the match, with Will Dobson putting Preston ahead in the 17th minute. They extended their lead shortly after when new signing Nikos Vergos scored in the 23rd minute, leaving the Jets in a strong position.

However, the match took a dramatic turn in the second half. Nahuel Bonada started the comeback for Preston in the 56th minute, scoring from a rebound. He then netted his second goal in the 62nd minute, leveling the score and igniting the home crowd. The upset was completed in the dying moments of the match when Daniel Lazarevski headed home the winner in the 93rd minute, sending the Jets out of the tournament.

Sydney FC Dominates Bayswater City

Sydney FC advanced to the Round of 16 with a commanding 5-1 victory over Bayswater City, highlighted by a hat-trick from 20-year-old Tiago Quintal. Quintal opened the scoring in the 20th minute, finishing a well-placed through ball from Akol Akon. Bayswater managed to equalize through Cameron Teece, who scored from a corner, but Sydney quickly regained the lead with Mathias Macallister converting another assist from Akon.

The second half saw Sydney FC increase their lead, with Quintal scoring again from the edge of the box to make it 3-1. Zac De Jesus then added a fourth goal into an empty net, before Quintal completed his hat-trick just two minutes later, sealing the match and sending Sydney FC into the next round.

Overall, it was a memorable night in the Australia Cup, showcasing the unpredictability of knockout football and the emergence of young talent like Quintal.