Caltex Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou said Australia will be full of belief that they can get a result in Japan in August after moving equal second place in the group.
WRAP: Juric and Rogic on target in crucial win
Caltex Socceroos 3-2 Saudi Arabia; as it happened in the official match centre
Australia is now level with the Saudis in second, but one behind on goal difference with two games left in the group.
Japan are on top of the group on goal difference and they face Australia in Saitama on August 31.
Before that though they face Iraq in Tehran next week to potentially move them three points clear at the top.
Only the top two nations automatically qualify for Russia 2018.
Postecoglou spoke with Fox Sports after the game and said the bigger picture rather than goal difference was what he was focussed on.
BEAT JAPAN IS THE GOAL
I know everyone’s really focussed on qualification but I’m not going to buy into it.
We’re trying to go on this path of playing a certain kind of football and what we want to do is go to Japan and knock them off.
If we do that then you don’t have to worry about goal difference or points and that’s been our mindset since the start of this World Cup campaign. And it’ll continue to be so.