Australia will look to book their place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup when they face South American side Peru at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Venue: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium (Al Rayyan)
Key Statistics
Australia have kept just two clean sheets in their last ten games in all competitions.
The Socceroos failed to score in two of their last three World Cup Qualifier (WCQ) games.
They have not defeated any South American opposition since 2010 (D2, L5).
Peru have lost just one of their last nine games in all competitions, winning six and drawing two.
They have kept a clean sheet in all but one of their last eight wins.
Peruvian forward Gianluca Lapadula has scored goals in five of his last six appearances for club side Benevento or Peru.
Head to head
Peru won the only previous meeting between both sides.
Latest performances in all competitions
Australia: W-W-L-L-D
Peru: W-W-L-D-W
Australia
Australia will look to book their place in the FIFA World Cup for the second time in a row and the sixth time in their history when they play Peru at the Al-Rayyan Stadium in Qatar—one of the eight stadiums to be used for the historic finals later this year.
The Socceroos, who are representing Asia, qualified for this single-leg playoff showdown when they beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 last Tuesday. In an entertaining game in Doha, Graham Arnold’s men needed an 84th-minute winner from Ajdin Hrustic to seal the game after Caio had cancelled out Jackson Irvine’s opener.
They will now have to win here to cross the final hurdle of the 2022 World Cup qualifying round. Given that they have fared well in neutral venues, they will fancy their chances of getting a win here.
However, they have a bad record against South American teams, having not defeated any South American opposition since 2010 (D2, L5), and that’s despite four of those six games taking place on neutral soil.
But Arnold, who took over at the end of the 2018 World Cup and whose job likely hinges on qualification, has urged his players to “fight, scratch and do whatever they have to do to win”. He’ll expect some fight from his boys who have won two of their last two games.
Possible Australia starting line-up
Mathew Ryan (GK); Nathaniel Atkinson, Boyle, Leckie, Martin Boyle, Ajdin Hrustic, Hrustic, Mooy, Duke, Bewich, Rowles, Mitchell Duke.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Peru
Peru will look to make it two wins in two games against Australia when they meet in Qatar this Monday.
The South Americans beat their South Asian counterparts 2-0 the last time they met in the last World Cup finals, albeit that came after both teams had been formally eliminated from progressing past the group stage.
They come into this game as favourites despite Peru only having a handful of squad members playing top-flight football in Europe. They have lost just one of their last nine games in all competitions, winning six times and keeping five clean sheets.
They are one of only four CONMEBOL nations to win at least three times away from home during continental qualifiers (D1, L5), and will be full of confidence going into this game. They also possess a current 12-game unbeaten run as favourites and so should have little issue with the change of scenery as well as the expectations of 34 million people back home.
Possible Peru starting line-up
Pedro Gallese (GK); Luis Advíncula, Carlos Zambrano, Alexander Callens, Miguel Trauco; Christian Cueva, Renato Tapia, Sergio Pena, Christofer Gonzales, Andre Carrillo, Gianluca Lapadula.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Prediction
Australia 2-1 Peru
