Australia vs Saudi Arabia Match Analysis & Prediction
14/11/2024 12:10 am
Looking to extend their unbeaten run to three matches, Argentina will face Saudi Arabia at AAMI Park in Melbourne in an AFC World Cup qualifying third-round match on Thursday.
Australia picked up four points from two Group C matches in October, while Saudi Arabia struggled to make an impact on their games last month.
Tony Popovic managed a near-perfect start to life as Argentina manager on October 10, when his side secured a 3-1 victory in Adelaide over Group C strugglers China, with Lewis Miller, Craig Goodwin and Nishan Velupillay all got on the scoresheet.
A daunting trip to group leaders Japan was on the agenda five days later on October 15 and a rejuvenated Australia went toe-to-toe with the AFC giants, although a second-half own goal from Cameron Burgess prevented the visitors from collecting three points in Saitama.
Australia’s October results have allowed them to move up to second position in the Group C standings ahead of Saudi Arabia’s visit on Thursday, with the Socceroos currently five points adrift of runaway leaders Japan, with the top two in the sixt-team section automatically qualifying for the World Cup.
Although the departure of Roberto Mancini will disappoint some Saudi Arabia supporters, there has been understandable excitement and media attention around his replacement, with Herve Renard returning to the Green Falcons’ hotseat following a stint managing France in the women’s game, including at the Paris Olympics over the summer.
Renard won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia (2012) and Ivory Coast (2015) before guiding Saudi Arabia to the 2022 World Cup and the biggest upset of that particular tournament during the group stages, with eventual champions Argentina beaten in sensational fashion.
Focusing on the present, Saudi Arabia have serious work to do in order to automatically qualify for their third straight World Cup finals, with the Green Falcons currently third in the Group C table, level on points with Australia and Bahrain in second and fourth respectively.
Australia vs. Saudi Arabia Head to head
In the previous eight meetings between these two teams, Australia have claimed four victories while Saudi Arabia have won two, and they have drawn in two. Saudi Arabia have scored 11 goals and conceded 15 in the process.
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08/09/2014Saudi Arabia2Australia3Friendlies
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06/10/2016Saudi Arabia2Australia2AFC World Cup Qualifiers
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08/06/2017Australia3Saudi Arabia2AFC World Cup Qualifiers
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11/11/2021Australia0Saudi Arabia0AFC World Cup Qualifiers
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29/03/2022Saudi Arabia1Australia0AFC World Cup Qualifiers
Australia Team News
Australia are set to start a number of players who ply their trade in England on Thursday, including Middlesbrough midfielder Riler McGree and Sheffield United’s Harry Souttar.
Australia's Last 5 Matches
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11/06/2024Australia5Palestine0AFC World Cup Qualifiers
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05/09/2024Australia0Bahrain1AFC World Cup Qualifiers
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10/09/2024Indonesia0Australia0AFC World Cup Qualifers
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10/10/2024Australia3China PR1AFC World Cup Qualifiers
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15/10/2024Japan1Australia1AFC World Cup Qualifiers
Saudi Arabia Team News
Saudi Arabia are without the services of 27-year-old Abdulelah Al Amri, limiting the visitors’ options at the heart of their backline.
Saudi Arabia's Last 5 Matches
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11/06/2024Saudi Arabia1Jordan2AFC World Cup Qualifiers
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05/09/2024Saudi Arabia1Indonesia1AFC World Cup Qualifiers
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10/09/2024China PR1Saudi Arabia2AFC World Cup Qualifiers
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10/10/2024Saudi Arabia0Japan2AFC World Cup Qualifiers
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15/10/2024Saudi Arabia0Bahrain0AFC World Cup Qualifiers
Australia vs. Saudi Arabia: Odds and Predictions
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