Tunisia vs Australia
Qatar World Cup Day 7: Argentina playing for survival, Saudi and France vying for R16 spot
The first round of the group stage of the ongoing football world cup event concluded on Thursday, with some unexpected results. The host team, Qatar, became the first team out of the tournament after conceding two back-to-back defeats. On Saturday, four crucial matches will take place, with the biggest fixture being top-favourite Argentina's clash against Mexico. Let’s have a look at the group-phase matches that will take place on Qatar World Cup Day 7.
Group C
The two matches in Group C that will be held today are Saudi Arabia vs Poland at 7 p.m. (BST) and Argentina vs Mexico at 1 a.m. Sunday (BST).
Read More: Qatar World Cup Round 1 Overview: One of the most unpredictable football events in recent years
Saudi Arabia vs Poland
After a surprising 2-1 victory over Argentina, the Asian giant Saudi Arabia are one of the most talked-about teams in this World Cup. They have a genuine chance to advance to the Round of 16 if they win any of their remaining two group phase matches against Poland or Mexico. With the confidence they have right now, the Saudi side can feel that they have a strong chance to make it to the next round.
Poland, on the other hand, should target this match to earn all three points, as they can’t settle for another draw. The Polish team will top the group if they beat Saudi Arabia in this contest. All eyes will be on Robert Lewandowski, who missed a penalty in their opening match against Mexico.
Argentina vs Mexico
It’s a do-or-die contest for two-time champions Argentina after their shocking defeat to Saudi Arabia last week. Argentina will be out of the tournament at the group stage if they fail to win the match against Mexico, which will be hugely embarrassing for them. Coach Lionel Scaloni is mapping out an effective strategy that would see his side display a dominant performance against the Mexican team, something that was missing in the first match.
For Mexico, this is a very crucial game as well. They are very much aware that Argentina will attempt to boss the contest, so getting all three points will be tough for them. The Mexican side will be hoping for at least a draw. Anything is possible if they can unsettle Argentina with a plan that they don't anticipate.
Group D
The two Group D fixtures that will be held today are: Tunisia vs Australia at 4 p.m. (BST) and France vs Denmark at 10 p.m. (BST).
Read More: Argentina vs Mexico FIFA World Cup 2022 LIVE Streaming: Where, how to watch online and on TV, predicted XI
Tunisia vs Australia
Tunisia can feel confident that they will advance to the Round of 16 after holding Denmark to a 0-0 draw in their first match.Tunisia will go for everything to beat Australia in this match to make sure they are very much in the race for the top two finishes.
Australia, on the other hand, will be out of the competition if they lose against Tunisia. They lost 4-1 against France after taking an early lead. This may disrupt their confidence a bit. But the Australian side has the ability to shock big teams, and this match against Tunisia will be a tough battle to watch.
France vs Denmark
Two strong favourites from this group are France and Denmark. The reigning champions started their campaign very well by beating Australia 4-1. Denmark, on the other hand, struggled against Tunisia and now face pressure when they play France today. Denmark will be hoping to snatch at least a point from this fixture if they fail to overcome the 2018 Champions.
On the other hand, France will secure their place in the Round of 16 if they win the match against Denmark. French coach Didier Deschamps won’t surely leave it to their final fixture of the group phase against Tunisia. He will expect a dominant performance from his side against the Danish team to get all three points.
Read More: US earns respect at World Cup, but wins remain elusive
Aftermath
The four matches on Day 7 of the Qatar World Cup are very important in the race to qualify for the Round of 16. Argentina, one of the most popular football teams in the world, would be eliminated from the competition if they suffered two consecutive defeats, which would be a major upset in this year's event. Besides, France and Saudi Arabia have a chance to make it to the knockout phase. Overall, Saturday's FIFA World Cup 2022 group stage matches should be exciting to watch.
2 years ago
Arab fan support key for Tunisia vs. Australia at World Cup
Expect “TUN-is, TUN-is, TUN-is” chants to reverberete around the Al Janoub stadium as Tunisia enjoys overwhelming home-like support when it takes on Australia in each team’s second match at the World Cup on Saturday.
One of the four Arab teams at the first World Cup in the Middle East, Tunisia had arguably the loudest set of fans in the first round of games when it held European Championship semifinalist Denmark to a 0-0 draw.
And the support isn’t just from Tunisians. Fans waving Palestinian flags have been following Tunisia, and there are also supporters of the squad from Egypt and Algeria.
Tunisia’s team bus was mobbed by red-clad fans upon arrival in Qatar last week.
“We know the value of our Tunisian supporters in Doha, and the Tunisian diaspora,” coach Jalel Kadri said. “This gives us a strong morale boost.”
Both teams will have higher expectations, after Australia was beat 4-1 by defending champion France in its Group D opener.
All four of France’s goals came from attacks down the flanks, with three of them headed in.
“Conceding three goals from wide areas is obviously a very clear lesson for us to learn,” Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine said. “We obviously have to deal with the crosses better.”
France leads the group with three points, Tunisia and Denmark are next with one point each and Australia trails with none.
Read: Qatar World Cup: Denmark, Tunisia play out goalless draw
Tunisia is seeking to advance from the group stage for the first time in its sixth World Cup appearance, while Australia has only reached the last 16 once — in 2006 — in five previous trips to soccer’s biggest event.
“There’s a bit more pressure because Australia have nothing to lose now. It’s like a final for them,” Tunisia defender Mohamed Dräger said. “We need to be ready like (Tuesday). With the same spirit and the same concentration we can achieve something.”
Tunisia’s spirit is embodied by combative midfielder Aïssa Laïdouni, who earned player of the match honors against Denmark in his first career World Cup match.
Laïdouni set the tone in the very first minute when he stripped Denmark playmaker Christian Eriksen of the ball with an aggressive sliding tackle — then stood up and pumped his arms menacingly, gesturing to the crowd to get even more fired up.
“It’s important to come at the game with a lot of determination,” Laïdouni said. “This is World Cup, it’s not a small competition. … It’s also important to show (the fans) we are so determined.”
Read: Splendid Brazil destroy clueless Tunisia 5-1 in Paris
2 years ago