The Caltex Socceroos left it late to beat Greece in Sydney on Saturday night but got the reward for a dominant display, according to Opta stats.
It looked like being a frustrating night for Ange Postecoglou’s side as the match went into stoppage time scoreless, despite the home side creating a string of chances.
But substitutes Jackson Irvine and Alex Gersbach combined to find another sub Mathew Leckie in the box, with the attacker finding the bottom corner with a powerful low drive.
The match ended 1-0 with the two teams now heading to Melbourne for game two of the Dodoni Series on Tuesday night.
It was just what the Socceroos deserved, with the stats revealing Ange troops were clearly the better side at ANZ Stadium.
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1) The Socceroos dominated possession 61.5% to 38.5%. The first half was the most impressive for the green and gold, enjoying 64.8% while in the second they had 57.8%.
2) Ange’s men also won the total passes stat by 512 to 313, with a dominant success rate as well, 84% to 72.5% despite the dodgy surface.
3) Socceroos gloveman Mat Ryan didn’t have a save to make, with none of Greece three shots on target, while the Socceroos had 12 attempts on goal (with three on target).
4) Australian midfielder Aaron Mooy was a terrier in the middle of the pitch, finishing with a game-high nine ball recoveries.
5) Socceroo midfielders beat Greece’s midfielders in the completed passing stat 206 to just 81.
6) Australian attacker Robbie Kruse was a menace to Greece and the most fouled player on the pitch, winning five free-kicks in just over an hour on the pitch.
7) Greece played more long balls than the Aussies, making 71 long passes to 47 by the Socceroos.
8) The Socceroos were far more positive as well, making 196 forward passes, compared to just 131 by the Greeks.
9) Making his first start, Aussie defender Milos Degenek was perfect when it came to his tackling, winning 100 percent of his six tackle battles
10) Australia’s Trent Sainsbury was the best passer in the match with 53 successful passes (compared to 34 for Greece – Marios Oikonomou), with most of Sainsbury’s passes (10) played to skipper Mile Jedinak in midfield.
