Australia eyes first victory in 2026 World Cup Qualifiers match against China
Australia will play against China in a much-charged 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday. The Socceroo's last match was a 0-0 with Indonesia, while China’s last match was a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia.
At the moment, Australia occupies the fifth position of the group with one point, and China is still point-less, which occupies the last position in the group. For both teams, a win is important given the current table standings that show them closely poised for qualification.
Kick-off:
Thursday, 10 October, 2:40 p.m. IST
Location: Adelaide Oval
Form:
- Australia (Last five matches): D-L-W-W-W
- China (Last five matches): L-L-L-D-W
Players to Watch:
Australia: Mitchell Duke
While Kusini Yengi is sidelined by an injury, Mitchell Duke will need to be the main striker of the ball. Although the Nigerian striker struggled to impress against Bahrain, he has the opportunity to redeem himself against China to at least get a mention on the scorecard.
China: Fernandinho
China hasn’t been impressive in the qualifiers thus far, but Fernandinho was quite excellent in their 0-0 defeat to Saudi Arabia. He will be instrumental in how China will be able to find the back of the net and somehow effect a reversal on this match.
Match Facts:
- The last five matches between Australia and China have seen fewer than three goals scored.
- China has won just one of their last 12 matches across all competitions.
- China is yet to win a game in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Betting Odds and Tips:
- Tip 1: Australia to win.
- Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals in the match.
- Tip 3: Australia to score more than two goals.
Injury and Team News:
Australia will be without key players Connor Metcalfe (groin injury), Kusini Yengi (muscle injury), and Martin Boyle (broken hand). On the other hand, China enters the match with a fully fit squad.
Head-to-Head:
- Total matches: 15
- Australia wins: 7
- Draws: 3
- China wins: 5
Predicted Lineups:
Australia (4-4-2):
Gauci (GK); Miller, Souttar, Deng, Rowles; Behich, O’Neil, Irvine (c), Goodwin; Duke, Irankunda
China (4-4-2):
Jiang Guangtai, Li Lei, Shangyuan Wang, Li Yuanyi, Zhang Yuning, Wei Shihao, Hu Hetao, Wang Dalei, Jiang Shenglong, Fei Nanduo, Zie Wenneng
Match Prediction:
The home side of course has the quality to get back to winning ways but sadly China is not in good form at the moment and that makes the Socceroos heavy favourite to take all three points. Predict a victory and a huge margin for Australia.
Prediction: Australia 3-1 China PR
Live Telecast:
- UK: Sky Sports
- India: Jio Cinema
- Australia: SBS VICELAND
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