Matchday eight of the group stage sees the Socceroos travel to Dhaka to play Bangladesh as they look to keep pace with Jordan at the top of the group.
Currently on 12 points from their five games with Jordan on 13, a victory here is important as the group will be decided on the final match when Australia host Jordan next year. When the Socceroos and Bangladesh met in Perth, the hosts comfortably cruised to a 5-0 win on the back of a dominant first half and will be looking to repeat that performance once again.
Maintaining Focus
Much has been made of the decision to keep this game in Dhaka where there has been political unrest in recent times including specific threats towards Australian interests. At one point there was a rumour that the game would be moved to a neutral venue, but was ultimately kept in Bangladesh; “unprecedented” security measures have been promised by local authorities. For the Socceroos, it is important to maintain focus as they prepare in Singapore and be professional about the task at hand.
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Lessons From Last Time
Their comprehensive win in September showed a major gulf in class between the two sides and the Socceroos will want to show that they can boss an opponent in their own backyard. The defenders did not have a whole lot to do other than retrieving clearances and returning the ball to the midfielders to restart the attack. It was also interesting to note that Tim Cahill was restricted to a minor cameo appearance and Australia still managed to score five goals, showcasing the attacking ability of the squad that will need to be on display once again.
Updating The Playing Squad
Two players have been withdrawn from the squad after Thursday’s game due to minor injuries. Tomi Juric picked up a calf strain and is understandably going to miss this game. It is rather disappointing as he got the opportunity to start against Kyrgyzstan and was unable to make the most of his opportunity because of the aforementioned injury. Somewhat surprisingly, Tom Rogic is also out of this game after only playing as a substitute in his homecoming game. The initial thought was that he was being saved to play 90 minutes in this game but it makes one wonder if he was up for the trip at all. Other than that, no changes have been made to the squad.
Projected Lineup
With Mat Ryan unready, the Socceroos are expected to stick with Adam Federici between the sticks. At the back, Bailey Wright, Trent Sainsbury and James Meredith should all maintain their spots, the latter being rewarded for an impressive debut. Josh Risdon may get his chance on the right-flank in place of Ryan McGowan as the Socceroos do not require as much defensive stability in this fixture. Mark Milligan and Mile Jedinak should hold their spots at the base of midfield while Aaron Mooy could drop to the bench. Massimo Luongo is likely to remain as the playmaker while Nathan Burns is a strong chance to start on the right-flank. Tommy Oar could be drafted onto the left-hand side.
Socceroos Expected XI (4-2-3-1): Federici (GK); Risdon, Wright, Sainsbury, Meredith; Milligan, Jedinak; Burns, Luongo, Oar; Cahill.
Player To Watch – Massimo Luongo
He will be marked much more closely than he was in the clash in Perth but it will be very important for Luongo to get into space and create opportunities for himself and his teammates.
Prediction
The Socceroos will continue to roll against a side that has struggled thus far in qualifying. Having conceded 20 goals in qualifying so far, Bangladesh will likely have to pick the ball out of their net a few more times as they play catch up to one of Asia’s elite.
Bangladesh 0 Socceroos 4
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