Australia vs Peru
Australia still have a shot at making it to the FIFA 2018 knockout stages. However, they need everything to go their way in the final stretch of World Cup football games.
The first job for the Socceroos is to defeat Peru when they meet at the Fisht Stadium for their last match in Group C. After that, Australia must pray that France beat Denmark by at least two goals to make up for the goal difference.
Sure enough, the results of the France-Denmark match is out of their control and the only thing Australia can do is score goals—and plenty of it—against the Peruvians. But with Ricardo Gareca’s men having nothing to lose, the Socceroos might find that job easier said than done.
Talking Points
Australia have a scoring problem, and the fact that the two goals they scored so far came off the penalty area is proof of that.
Fans are now waiting what changes coach Bert van Marwijk will make in order to turn things around for a nation still hoping for a Round of 16 berth.
There are calls for Daniel Arzani to start after just playing in brief moments against France and Denmark. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder—the youngest player in the competition—showed flashes of genius in his cameo against the Danes, setting up chances that Australia could have converted had they been clinical in front of the goal.
Put simply, Arzani has proven that he deserves to start, and the teenage rising star might just be the spark Australia need to break their scoring slump.
Besides him, it might also be time for Bert to call upon the nation’s best goalscorer ever, Tim Cahill. The 38-year-old is yet to feature for the Socceroos in Russia, no thanks to his lack of playing time at Melbourne City and Millwall.
However, Cahill thrives best on clutch situations and big moments. The game against Peru is both.
That’s not to say that he should start, but with the team missing his finishing touch, van Marwijk should at least consider playing Cahill.
Cahill has delivered for the nation countless times, most famous perhaps is his brace against Japan in 2006 that allowed Australia to turn a 0-1 deficit around and get their first World Cup win en route to the knockouts.
Australia know they must deliver, especially with their fans growing frustrated with how the team is performing. In fact, just recently, 29-year-old forward Robbie Kruse received a huge backlash on social media for his poor form.
Kruse’s online abuse is one of the biggest and most controversial FIFA 2018 news; and while his teammates were quick to defend him, such unfortunate event emphasises one thing: the World Cup is a results business.
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Speaking of producing results, Peru know it as well. That is why they will be keen to deliver and will be hell-bent on getting their first World Cup win in 36 years.
Los Incas are all but eliminated in the tournament which makes them even more dangerous foes. They were unlucky not to score against France last week, so the hunger is there for skipper Paolo Guerrero and his team to finally find the back of the net they oh so crave.
History
Australia and Peru meet for the first time ever, but the Peruvians can boast the fact that they defeated the Socceroos’ fellow nation from Oceania, New Zealand, last year.
Peru played New Zealand in the World Cup intercontinental playoffs, beating the Kiwis 2-0 over two legs.
Australia, meanwhile, have a poor World Cup record against teams from South America. In their three games against CONMEBOL opposition, Australia drew once and lost twice—a 2-0 defeat to Brazil in 2006 and a 3-1 lost to Chile in 2014.
Making things uglier for van Marwijk’s men, they have a history of poor defence in the tournament. The Socceroos have conceded at least one goal in their last 12 World Cup matches since 2006, conceding a total of 24 goals in the process.
What are the odds?
FIFA 2018 betting odds point to a tight affair, with Peru slight favourites at 1X2 @ 2.48. Australia, on the other hand, are not too far behind at 1X2 @ 2.90.
Despite the two nations’ lack of finishing power, goals are expected to come this time, at least according to SBOBET odds. Over 2.00 pays at 1.62 while Under 2.50 is at 1.62, implying that a two-goal game might be on the books.
With that said, it’s no wonder why a Correct Score 1-1 is the most probable result at odds of 5.40.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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