World Cup 2022: Tunisia or Australia Can Sneak in at Second With a Win

Tunisia vs Australia

Tunisia and Australia are aiming to stay in contention for a top two spot in Group D when they square off this Saturday.

Both nations are focused to get three crucial points from this World Cup 2022 group stage match, but they also have their one eye at the other game between France and Denmark.

Defending champions France are leading the group with three points, while Tunisia and Denmark have one point and Australia are at the bottom with none.

The best case scenario for Tunisia is to win here and the matchup between France and Denmark ends up in a draw. But on the other hand, an improbable victory for Australia would throw a monkey wrench into the group stage proceedings.

Talking Points

Tunisia possess the fighting spirit

Jalel Kadri couldn’t be happier with what he saw from his boys versus Denmark, particularly in the first half, since it was a game that was decided by fine margins.

They came so close to grab the lead when Issam Jebali forced a superb save from Kasper Schmeichel before half-time as the 30-year-old winger chipped the ball from close range. But sadly, even if he made it, it would’ve been still gone for naught since it was ruled out for offside.

The Carthage Eagles were on the defencive pretty much in the second half as the Danes improved, but they held on for a well-deserved point.

Aissa Laidouni emerged as one of the team’s emotional leaders. His crunching tackle on Christian Eriksen during the first half set the tone for Tunisia, and he also hyped up their fans in the process.

Another key player for Tunisia is Ali Abdi. The Caen left-back handled his defencive responsibilities well because he won seven tackles (100-per cent success rate), two aerial duels, and made one successful dribble and cleared the ball seven times.

Despite being handed a difficult draw, Tunisia have certainly left a huge impression with their great start.

Australia are just happy to be here

Australia are not expected to make it far in this tournament. Their best case scenario is to at least get a point here in the group stage, and their greatest chance of doing so is against Tunisia.

When Australia opened the World Cup 2022 highlights reel against France, excitement peaked for the Socceroos. But they were eventually handed a harsh reality check as Les Bleus unleashed a barrage of goals en route to the victory.

Craig Goodwin was the one who scored and it’s one he’ll never forget. The sequence started with a long pass from Harry Souttar, who teed up Mathew Leckie down to the right flank, and Leckie’s cross found Goodwin for the score.

The odds are stacked against Australia even before the World Cup started, but this also means that they’ll be playing under no pressure – which might work to their advantage.

History

Tunisia and Australia are going to face off for the third time across all competitions. They’ve split their head-to-heads so far with one win each. Australia prevailed 3-0 in a friendly back in October 1997, before Tunisia won 2-0 during the 2005 Confederations Cup.

Australia are facing African opposition for the second time ever at the World Cup. Before Tunisia, the Socceroos drew 1-1 with Ghana in the 2010 edition of this tournament.

The Socceroos have lost six of their last seven World Cup games (D1) and they’ve conceded 18 goals in the process. They’re in danger of losing their first two group stage matches in a single World Cup campaign for the third time, after doing so in 1974 and 2014.

Following their draw against Denmark, Tunisia have avoided defeat in consecutive World Cup games for the first time (W1, D1), but they’ve lost four of their last five group stage games in matchday 2.

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP World Cup 2022 odds fancy Tunisia’s chances to win this weekend. The Carthage Eagles are priced at 2.16, while Australia are at 3.40 and chances for a draw are at 3.20 in the 1X2 market.

This game is a prime opportunity for both Tunisia and Australia to claim three points in the group, but only one of them can do so this Saturday.

Tunisia should have enough quality to win this game, which would essentially seal Australia’s fate as they’re headed towards an early exit.

As for an alternative bet, Total Goal 2-3 @ 2.24 is the likeliest scenario since we don’t expect a clean sheet on this one.

 

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