The two unbeaten leaders of Group B of the qualifiers for the upcoming World Cup 2018 cited in the Stadium King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, where the local team hosts Australia in the third round match.
Saudi Arabia, coached by Dutchman Bert Van Marwijk has suffered immeasurably to achieve two victories that put him at the head of the group. After going top of Group A in Round 2, totaling 6 wins and 2 draws in eight games ahead of Arab, Palestine, Malaysia and Timor Emirates, Saudi struggled to beat Thailand with a penalty goal, marked by Nawaf Al Abid played 84 minutes in the in Riyad. 5 days later, the agony and the controversy was even greater. To Iraq in match played in Shah Alam, the Saudis got their first goal in this classification, Mohanad Abdul Raheem work 18 minutes into the game. This time it was not one, if not two penalties charged for the Saudis, marked by Al Abid 81 and 88 of a meeting that ended with a huge tension in the stands minute.
Probable Starting: Yasser Al Mosailem – Mansoor Al Harbi, Osama Hawsawi, Othman Omar Hassan Muath – Salman Al Faraj, Yahia Al Sheri, Tayseer Al-Jassim, Abdulmalek Al Khaibri – Naif Hazazi, Nawaf Al Abid.
Australia comes into this game full of victories after beating Iraq 2-0 and 0-1 to UAE. The Socceroos decided to increase their level of competence, requesting his pass from FIFA FIFA ocenia to Asia, and now started the decisive phase of this classification, drawn in Group B along with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Japan, Thailand and Iraq.
Located in the FIFA ranking 57th, the Australian team had a comfortable path in Phase 2, leading Group B with 7 wins and one defeat. The former Soviet republics of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, along with Bangladesh and Jordan, the only defeat (2-0) in a match played in October 2015 in Amman, were rivals, confirming their superiority. After confirming their classification, Australia has played three friendly matches against England (2-1) and against Greece (1-0, 1-2 defeat)
Angelos Postecoglou is the current coach of the Socceroos, with the center of the Crystal Palace, Mile Jedinak, as a great leader in defense. For these first two games against Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the Greek-Australian recovered Tomi Juric, Matthew Spiranovic, Massimo Luongo and Mitchell Langerak, who enter the site Josh Risdon and Jason Geria, Jamie Maclaren and mark birighitti. Juric has started the season very strong in Luzern of the Swiss Super League, scoring 2 goals in 4 games, while Luongo, who plays Queen’s Park Rangers, played friendlies against Greece at the birth of his son was lost.
Probable Starting: Federici – Degenek, McGowan, Brad Smith, Spiranovic – Jedinak, Luongo, Mooy, Tommy Rogic – Tim Cahill, Tomi Juric.
Three wins in three matches is the balance of Australians against the Saudis, who will have to improve compared to that seen in the first two games. A priori, unless you continue charging penalty for the home, the forecast for this match is the Australian victory.
