The biggest sporting event in the world continues with the Group D Tunisia v Australia clash where both teams will be desperate for victory to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
With so many games and so little time, our Group D Tunisia v Australia Match Centre tries to sum it all up as quickly as possible before and after the game and with just a hint of cynicism. If you wanted professional and/or good you’d be on the BBC website, not here. Essentially, we watch and follow the game so you don’t have to.
With answers to the key questions prior to the match and our Minutes that Mattered summary and stats post game, it is a real Who Cares guide to the 2022 World Cup for the person on the go.
Enjoy the Group D Tunisia v Australia Match Centre.
KICKOFF – SATURDAY 26TH NOV – 13:00 (QATAR) 10:00 (UK) 21:00 (AEDT)
Group D Tunisia v Australia Match Review
Australia have kept their knockout finals hopes alive with a surprise 1-0 win over Tunisia who threw plenty at Australia in the closing stages.
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute you find on professional websites except one that has only the minutes that matter. All wheat, no chaff.
And if the below isn’t enough, for those in Australia you can catch up via the SBS World Cup on Demand.
5’ Min First decent chance for either side as Australia are awarded a free kick just outside the box. Aaron Mooy takes the kick and there’s no goal but a decent delivery. Signs are positive for Australia for this game anyway.
10’ Min Another free kick for Australia, and this one is even further back than the one above. Once again Mooy steps and provides a quality cross in. This led to a few half chances for Australia not long after but without scoring.
19’ Min Best chance of the game so far for Tunisia as they break into the Australian penalty area, but Australia hold them off for now. Another shot a minute later for Tunisia gives the feeling that Tunisia are starting to get on top.
23’ Min GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR AUSTRALIA
Once again Australia have scored first again if you can believe it. Australia’s goal scorer of the first game Craig Goodwin becomes the creator this time with his bouncing cross into box arriving at Mitchell Duke’s head height, and he flicks it onwards to the corner of the goal, easily beating the keeper.
TUNISIA 0 AUSTRALIA 1
29’ Min A little bit of an edge coming into the game, from both sides, with some heavy tackles and physicality with free kicks being given away a-plenty. Yellow cards being kept to a minimum for now.
31’ Min Following on from the above point, Mitchell Duke goes down after contact, and replays show that while the Australian was down on the ground (no cocaine) Tunisian player Hannibal Mejbri who was sitting on the bench and not actually playing threw the ball he was holding at Duke’s head and connected. What a jerk. The referee makes him apologise like the spoilt brat he was. And how can you trust a person called Hannibal who also looks like Simpsons super villain Sideshow Bob.
37’ Min Klinsmann Trophy nomination for Mohamed Dräger who goes down for contact after a mid-air battle. Looks like absolutely nothing, except maybe a few blades of grass coming off the bottom of the Australian defender’s boot. Maybe we’re being harsh, the Tunisian may be allergic to grass.
40’ Min Massive chance for Tunisia goes begging. Tunisia had a couple of shots on goal in the one play, and it took a desperate clearance from Harry Souttar to save the day. For the record the second shot on target for Tunisia was Mohamed Dräger, who seemed to have recovered from his near death situation earlier.
43’ Min Mitchell Duke is on fire and has another shot on target saved. His header came from another free kick awarded to them in Tunisia’s half. Fran Karačić has a crack too not long after, but his is cleared by a defender before getting anywhere near the keeper.
45’ Min Five minutes of extra time and Australia have things under control at both ends of the field for now. Who knows a performance more like this against France could have seen us not thrashed so badly. Aussies just like to see their team have a go, which they are here and was debatable against France.
45’ Min +2 Youssef Msakni misses a gifted chance to score for Tunisia. Charging through the penalty area, he had only the keeper to beat and pushed it wide of the post.
Australia take a 1-0 lead to the break, in arguably their best international performance in years.
HALF TIME – TUNISIA 0 AUSTRALIA 1
51′ Min Free kick to Tunisia is their biggest chance of the second half so far, and the cross into the box was great and forced Mat Ryan into a good save.
52′ Min Another chance for Tunisia as the drive in the penalty box again and a bit a scramble takes place until the ball is ushered out of the area by Australia.
54′ Min But Tunisia keep on pressing, with free kicks and driving runs into the box. Is the equaliser just a matter of time,?
55′ Min Now it’s Australia’s turn to go close. After Leckie dispossess Tunisia on the halfway line, and Australia break toward the Tunisian goal. Goodwin has a shot that needed a save from the Tunisian keeper.
60′ Min Tunisia’s Ferjani Sassi proves to be just that as he takes a shot on goal that misses by as much to the right as it missed high.
63′ Min Double substitution for Australia, and we are genuinely excited in seeing Jamie Maclaren. Although, he should have got on the field against France…..
74′ Min Tunisia keep on attacking and Australia keep on keeping them at bay, but there’s still another 20 minutes to hold on though for a famous victory.
81′ Min A half chance for Tunisia extinguished with a clearance from Australia. Mat Ryan is needed to make a solid save minutes later. It’s going to be a big job to keep Tunisia from scoring.
86′ Min Outstanding cover tackle from Harry Souttar as Tunisia make a clean break through Australia to deny them. Minutes later and Tunisia are pressuring again inside Australia’s penalty area and are stopped again. A minute after that and again Mat Ryan is called upon to make a save to keep the 1-0 lead. So many chances for Tunisia, Australia have done everything they can and more.
90′ Min Six minutes of added time. That’s a big ask for Australia. May the Aussies get the largest case of team-wide cramps ever seen in Australian sport.
90′ Min +2 Australia clear yet another chance for Tunisia and earn themselves a time-eating free kick. It goes nowhere, but that’s the point.
90′ Min +4 Min A strong Tunisian cross is met by an equally strong Mat Ryan. Just two-ish minutes to go to hold on. We’d hate to sound cynical, but we can see one of those heart-breaking VAR assisted calls going against Australia.
90′ Min +5 Min Awer Mabil has a chance to seal the game for Australia. He is in space and heading towards the goal and needs only to beat the keeper or gives a square pass for his support to score. He does neither and leaves the door open for Tunisia.
90′ Min +6 Min The above doesn’t matter and Australia beat Tunisia to stay alive in the World Cup.
Final Score
TUNISIA 0
AUSTRALIA 1
Mitchell Duke 23′
HT Australia 1-0
Player of the Match
Mathew Leckie
Points of Interest
- We like the Australia alternative kit.
- Whoever had that trumpet or whatever it was during the game could have shoved it somewhere special with the consistently annoying blaring.
- Win, lose or draw, the Socceroos will always have the support of the nation if they put is a shift like they did against Tunisia.
Group B Tunisia v Australia Match Stats
Group D Tunisia v Australia Starting Teams
TUNISIA (3-4-2-1)
16 Dahmen
6 Bronn
4 Meriah
3 Talbi
20 Dräger
17 Skhiri
14 Laïdouni
24 Abdi
23 Sliti
7 Msakni
9 Jebali
AUSTRALIA (4-4-2)
1 Ryan
5 Karacic
19 Souttar
4 Rowles
16 Behich
7 Leckie
22 Irvine
13 Mooy
23 Goodwin
15 Duke
14 McGree
Group D Tunisia v Australia Match Preview
Why should you care?
Because there’s still a spot in the knockout stage up for grabs. Given the way France destroyed Australia and looked to have plenty more to give, it appears that all the other sides are playing for second.
The 0-0 result for Tunisia against Denmark puts them under pressure now from Australia if the Socceroos can get act together. If Australia pull a win out of their arse, then they would then be ahead of Tunisia for second spot as they would still have to play France.
Wishful thinking all of this after Australia’s pretty meek performance against France, but still possible.
Who should you care about?
For Tunisia despite the 0-0 we were impressed by Mohamed Dräger, and of course the goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen, who if we are a little unfair to Australia, won’t probably feature as much.
The Australian player to watch is a bit harder given the dominance of France in their game. But Mathew Leckie always seems to be the go to man for most things good in attack, and Australia needs a go to man.
Full 2022 World Cup Squads & Stats
Is there a barely interesting fact?
Australia have drawn their only World Cup match v African opponents. Ghana 1-1 in 2010.
Tunisia have never won their second group game in their previous five attempts. Their record is D1 L4.
Who will win?
Tunisia 1 Australia 0
Full 2022 World Cup Predictions
