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Tony Popovic’s first game in charge of the Socceroos comes against China PR with Australia already in must-win territory when it comes to their World Cup qualification hopes.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Thursday October 8th 2024: UK – 10:10am / US ET – 5:10am / US PT – 2:10am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – Not televised
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Bet365 & FIFA+ / US – FIFA+
AUSTRALIA PREVIEW: ARNOLD QUITS AFTER AWFUL START
Picking up just one point from a possible six in games against Bahrain and Indonesia was not what was expected by Australia fans and has left their World Cup qualification chances hanging by a thread. Those results were followed by the resignation of head coach Graham Arnold, with Tony Popovic employed as his replacement.
Popovic is a former Asian Champions League winner and will need to conjure that magic here with the national team. With China PR the only team below them in Group C, there is simply no excuse for them not to get three points at home.
CHINA PR PREVIEW: VISITORS THE ONLY NATION IN GROUP C WITHOUT A POINT
China PR have struggled badly across this third round of qualifying, losing both of their games played so far. A 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Japan was followed up by a 1-2 defeat against Saudi Arabia, who scored a heart-breaking late winner from a Chinese point of view. But here they face a side also without a victory in the group.
Having improved defensively vs Saudi Arabia, keeping Australia at bay early on and building frustration among the home crowd could be their route to getting a positive result here, as the Socceroos get more desperate.
AUSTRALIA TEAM NEWS: METCALFE AND LUONGO OUT AFTER SUFFERING INJURIES WITH RESPECTIVE CLUBS
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Ryan; Miller, Souttar, Burgess, Behich; Irvine, Baccus; Silvera, McGree, Goodwin; Taggart
UNAVAILABLE: Circati (Injured), Metcalfe (Injured), Luongo (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
CHINA PR TEAM NEWS: HENAN MIDFIELDER SHANGYUAN A CANDIDATE TO START THIS TIME AROUND
PREDICTED XI (3-5-2): Wang; Gao, Zhu, Li; Abduweli, Li, Shangyuan, Jiang, Xie; Conceicao, Wu
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
AUSTRALIA VS CHINA PR PREDICTION
A new manager bounce is on the cards here and must be expected from an Australian point of view. They have the players to dominate against China PR and it’s about asserting their authority on the game. Popovic brings a winning mentality and with their backs to the wall, the Socceroos may just come out swinging. Back the hosts to overcome their opponents by at least two clear goals.
AUSTRALIA VS CHINA PR TIP: AUSTRALIA TO WIN WITH -1 HANDICAP