There’s simply 270 minutes separating the Socceroos from a second berth within the World Cup knockout levels.
But there’s three different groups in Group D who would love nothing greater than to ebook passage to the Round of 16 on the Aussies’ expense.
The 2022 World Cup sees Australia pitted in opposition to France and Denmark for the second consecutive match, whereas Tunisia represents a completely completely different entity.
Foxsports.com.au previews all 4 nations in Group D and assesses the doubtless fates that await them as soon as the group levels are full.
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Maybe we’re the subsequent golden technology’ | 13:08
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FULL GROUP D FIXTURE LIST (ALL TIMES AEDT)
Wednesday November 23, 12am: Denmark vs Tunisia, Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Wednesday November 23, 6am: France vs Australia, Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Saturday November 26, 9pm: Tunisia vs Australia, Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Sunday November 27, 3am: France vs Denmark, Stadium 974, Doha
Thursday December 1, 2am: Australia vs Denmark, Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Thursday December 1, 2am: Tunisia vs France, Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
AUSTRALIA
Simply making it to this World Cup amid a seemingly infinite qualification marketing campaign was an enormous victory in itself. The heroics of Andrew Redmayne in a penalty shootout in opposition to Peru sealed a spot within the 32 competing nations in Qatar as Arnold and his troops celebrated lengthy into the evening. 17 Aussies are making their World Cup debuts as Arnold’s resolution to behave as Olyroos coach alongside his Socceroos duties paid dividends.
There’s additionally loads of hype surrounding teen sensation Garang Kuol, who’s remarkably but to even begin an expert recreation. The 18-year-old made his Socceroos debut in opposition to New Zealand in September and subsequently earned a January switch to Premier League outfit Newcastle United. His scintillating type for the Central Coast Mariners this season rightly earned him a spot in Arnold’s 26-man squad and will show to be an actual X-factor off the bench ought to he be known as upon.
However, quite a few key Socceroos head into the opening fixtures below important harm clouds. Towering defender Harry Souttar is coming off an ACL harm and solely lately returned to play for membership facet Stoke City whereas Hibernian flyer Martin Boyle was dominated out on Sunday evening, with Melbourne City winger Marco Tilio introduced in as his alternative.
Star man: Ajdin Hrustic
Ajdin Hrustic might be anticipated to shoulder a big quantity of the inventive burden for the Socceroos. Hrustic arrived in Qatar with out many minutes in current video games attributable to an ankle harm, however was named on the bench for Serie A facet Hellas Verona of their last fixture earlier than the worldwide break.
A silky midfielder who’s deadly on set items, Hrustic’s eye for a teammate’s run or his silky dribbling expertise might be essential to the Socceroos’ success.
The supervisor: Graham Arnold
Graham Arnold, affectionately often known as ‘Arnie’, has proved to be a polarising determine in Australian soccer at instances. Yet there may very well be no doubting his credentials having guided the Socceroos to Qatar amid a gruelling qualification marketing campaign during which he contracted Covid twice and lived out of a suitcase for over half a 12 months.
Never afraid of creating brutal choice calls or giving younger gamers an opportunity, Arnold has an unshakeable perception in his squad. He faces an unsure future as soon as the World Cup is over as his contract with Football Australia expires, however till then, he’ll benefit from each second.
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Graham Arnold might be hoping he doesn’t end his time as Socceroos boss with out going to the knockout levels. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Why they’ll qualify for the knockout levels: Arnold and lots of of his closest confidants actually consider the Socceroos and shock the world and make it via to the knockout levels. And that perception is present in abundance all through his squad. Just about everybody exterior of Australia has written off the Socceroos’ possibilities earlier than a ball has been kicked in anger. But that’s the best way Arnold and his squad prefer it.
In match soccer, the type on show is nowhere close to as essential because the end result and Arnold is aware of what it takes to grind out a victory or draw. This group has nothing to lose and every little thing to achieve.
Why they’ll be on the primary flight dwelling: On paper, the Socceroos’ expertise is dwarfed by the likes of France and Denmark. The Aussies aren’t the sort to dominate the ball and carve out probability after probability and it’s doubtless Arnold’s troops might be defending for the overwhelming majority of the 90 minutes in opposition to France and Denmark.
With quite a few the Aussies’ doubtless starters carrying knocks, not with the ability to wheel out the best-possible group will doubtless show dangerous and will kill the Socceroos’ match.
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DENMARK
Denmark have typically emerged as a impartial’s favorite in match soccer attributable to their enticing type of play and youthful exuberance. The Danes are coming off an especially spectacular displaying at Euro 2020 after they went on a run all the best way to the semi-finals, solely to be knocked out by England within the semi-finals.
What made that deep journey much more particular was the actual fact they did it after talismanic midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest in a bunch stage match in opposition to Finland. Somehow, Eriksen returned to the pitch in January this 12 months with Premier League facet Brentford and regarded fully at dwelling.
Denmark certified for Qatar with relative ease as they completed high of Group F with 9 wins from 10 video games, scoring 30 objectives and conceding simply three within the course of. Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel may even be a pivotal presence between the sticks having been a mainstay of the nationwide group for a number of years. Brentford star Mikkel Damsgaard may even be one to regulate, because the energetic ahead seems to be to proceed his rise to prominence.
Star man: Christian Eriksen
There’s little doubt that with Christian Eriksen within the squad, Denmark are routinely a harmful prospect. A shining mild in an in any other case boring Manchester United squad, Eriksen has proven he nonetheless has loads of high quality in his locker though he hasn’t been utilised in his regular place as a central attacking midfielder at membership stage.
We’ve seen simply how essential set items will be throughout match soccer and with Eriksen’s means to ship a depraved ball into the field, anticipate opposition defenders to shake of their boots a bit after they see the Dane step up and take free-kicks.
Christian Eriksen’s return to the nationwide group is one thing particular. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)Source: AFP
The supervisor: Kasper Hjulmand
Since taking up the nationwide group from Age Hareide in July 2020, Kasper Hjulmand has overseen 34 video games as Denmark boss and received 23 of them with a semi-final at Euro 2020 in addition. Hjulmand has been linked with quite a few Premier League roles since that Euro run, such is the regard the previous Nordsjælland is held in.
His means to galvanise the group after the horrifying scenes when Eriksen collapsed in opposition to Finland was additionally one thing particular. A supervisor who’s versatile together with his techniques relying on the opposition, Hjulmand nearly all the time utilises a possession-based type of play most frequently with a 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 formation.
Why they’ll qualify for the knockout levels: The talismanic presence of Christian Eriksen will show inspirational to this group, there’s little doubt about it. Hjulmand’s flexibility with setting his group up for lightning assaults or to sit down in and defend will unsettle groups too. A group stuffed with high quality gamers which might be adaptable will doubtless show to be the distinction. It’s moderately tough to show why Denmark received’t qualify.
Why they’ll be on the primary flight dwelling: Well, if France carry out and the Aussies qualify for the knockout levels, that’ll imply an early exit for the Danes. But in any other case it’s onerous to think about why this group received’t make it to the knockout levels.
FRANCE
France look to make it back-to-back World Cup titles having emerged victorious in 2018 with a dominant win over Croatia within the last. Despite a disappointing efficiency at Euro 2020 which culminated in a Round of 16 defeat to Switzerland on penalties, Didier Deschamps’ facet stay an enormous favorite for the World Cup.
The squad has been ravaged by accidents with midfield duo N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba dominated out, as are current Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, Presnel Kimpembe and Christopher Nkunku. Star defender Raphael Varane is just not totally match both. Yet the squad remains to be dripping with expertise in each place and expectations again dwelling are excessive. A victory within the Nations League last over Spain served as a well timed reminder of what this squad is able to too.
Star man: Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe hadn’t fairly turn into a family identify going into the 2018 World Cup, however after scoring 4 objectives — together with a 25-yard worldie within the last in opposition to Croatia — everybody knew who he was.
The 23-year-old is among the finest gamers on the earth and has unbelievable poise in entrance of aim to go together with his lightning tempo that has opposition defenders frightened past perception.
He can function nearly wherever alongside the entrance three so no defender is secure.
With 19 objectives in 20 membership appearances this season, Mbappe heads to Qatar in red-hot type and can look to select up proper the place he left off.
Mbappe dazzled on the final World Cup, will he do the identical in Qatar? (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)Source: AFP
The supervisor: Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps guided Les Bleus to a second World Cup trophy in 20 years and the expectation from the French might be that it’s very a lot increase or bust for the 54-year-old this time round. Interestingly sufficient, Deschamps is out of contract after the World Cup and with French legend Zinedine Zidane out of labor and reportedly eyeing up the job, it may very well be Deschamps’ final bow with the nationwide group for a while.
Why they’ll qualify for the knockout levels: Most nations would do unspeakable issues to have simply one among Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele or Kingsley Coman at their disposal. Luckily for the French, they’ve all of them and a lot extra.
The midfield is brimming with expertise too within the likes of Real Madrid duo Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, whereas the backline is stacked in each place. Quite merely, this facet is simply too good to not qualify and even when they discover themselves behind at any stage, the standard on this facet will discover a technique to get via to the Round of 16 at a minimal.
Why they’ll be on the primary flight dwelling: Could France be the most recent nation to fall to the World Cup winner’s curse? Italy received in 2006 however bombed out within the group stage in 2010. Then it was Spain’s flip to make an early exit in 2014 having received 4 years prior. Germany made it three in a row having received in 2014 however exiting sooner than anticipated in 2018. Even France, winners in 1998, crashed out of the group levels in 2002 with out a win.
Aside from those that are superstitious, a tumultuous build-up in French soccer might simply unsettle this group. Paul Pogba was accused by his personal brother of asking a witch physician to curse Kylian Mbappe and the latter was locked in a dispute with the French Football Federation and KFC over his picture rights in current months. It solely takes one unsettled squad member to derail a whole marketing campaign and with the French, it typically feels that that is one thing that’s by no means too distant.
Some fascinating allegations have been levelled at Paul Pogba with regard to Mbappe. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)Source: AFP
TUNISIA
After lacking each the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, Tunisia made a return to the match in 2018 however had the unlucky luck of being drawn in the identical group as Belgium and England, who each went so far as the semi-finals. However, the Tunisians beat Panama and scored 5 objectives in Russia, probably the most they’d ever scored out of the 5 World Cups they’ve appeared at.
Tunisia can also be coming off a quarter-final look on the 2021 African Cup of Nations, a disappointing return by their requirements. Tunisia’s 26-man squad additionally options 4 goalkeepers, a daring name.
There’s additionally a little bit of expertise inside the squad too, with solely two gamers — goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen and defender Nader Ghandri — having lower than 10 caps to their identify. Manchester United followers may even be watching this group with a eager curiosity as a result of presence of teenage midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, who’s on mortgage at Birmingham City.
Star man: Wahbi Khazri
Wahbi Khazri is second in Tunisia’s all-time goalscoring charts with 24 objectives from 71 appearances. What makes his feat all of the extra spectacular is that he’s historically an attacking midfielder by commerce. A former Premier League participant with Sunderland, Khazri would be the inventive linchpin in a facet that received’t be anticipated to have a number of the ball.
Wahbi Khazri might be key to Tunisia’s possibilities in Qatar. (Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP)Source: AFP
The supervisor: Jalel Kadri
Jalel Kadri has been within the Tunisian sizzling seat for lower than a 12 months having been promoted from his assistant coach function in January. But Kadri proved he was the precise man for the job having led Tunisia to a spot on the World Cup because of a 1-0 combination victory over Mali within the third and last stage of qualification in Africa. With a CV the size of an arm, Kadri has loads of expertise in his again pocket.
Why they’ll qualify for the knockout levels: The Tunisians have adopted a extra defensive type of play in current instances which, regardless of its drawbacks, may very well be tailored for match soccer. Keeping opposition attackers at bay — one thing Tunisia should do for giant parts of video games given the ahead firepower accessible to the opposition — might be essential.
All it takes is a second of magic from Khazri or one among his teammates and Tunisia may very well be nicking a slender victory. There’s additionally the additional advantage of 5 gamers within the squad plying their commerce in home leagues within the Middle East, in order that they’re already acclimated to the circumstances in Qatar, one thing the Danish and French can not say for any of their gamers.
Why they’ll be on the primary flight dwelling: Similar to Australia, there’s a sheer hole between Tunisia and the likes of France and Denmark on the idea of particular person high quality. There’s merely not sufficient distinction makers that may break a recreation open from wherever on the park and if they’re to function with defensive techniques, there’s solely so lengthy they will hold the likes of Mbappe or Eriksen at bay understanding that they are going to are available waves.
