Aussies Abroad Preview: Socceroos chase silverware and promotion in Scotland and beyond

The finish line is in sight for many of our Socceroos, with possible silverware and promotion across Asia and Europe edging closer!

The final phase of the Scottish season begins this weekend, with Tom Rogic and Nathaniel Atkinson joining the league's best teams in a straight shootout for the Premiership title.

Read on to check out our full wrap of the upcoming Aussies Abroad action. 

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England & Scotland

Tom Rogic and Celtic will be looking to brush off their cup disappointment from last weekend by adding another three points to their league total on the weekend against Ross County (Sunday 11:30pm AEST).

Defender Nathaniel Atkinson will also be participating in Scotland's final round, with his side Hearts facing fourth-placed Dundee United away from home (Monday 12am AEST). 

Germany

Jackson Irvine's push for promotion to the Bundesliga will see St Pauli approach a huge encounter with Darmstadt (Sunday 4:30am AEST). The Hamburg outfit currently occupy the last play-off position within the 2. Bundesliga, with Darmstadt placed just a position behind St Pauli, with only two points separating the sides heading into Matchday 31.

Ajdin Hrustic and Eintracht Frankfurt will meanwhile be hoping for a bounce-back when they return home against Hoffeinheim (Saturday 11:30pm AEST).

Asia 

In Japan, Socceroo Mitch Duke will be aiming to score in a third consecutive match as his side travel to Roasso Kumamoto (Friday 8:30pm AEST). Okayama are still in the fight for promotion to the J.League.

Sitting pretty on top of Asian Champions League Group E, Martin Boyle and his club side Al-Faisaly must now close out their last two games to secure progression through to the knockout stages, with their first test coming against the only side they have failed to beat so far, in Jordanian outfit Al-Wehdat (Sunday 6:15am).

With Uzbek side Nasaf still in pursuit, Al-Faisaly may well need all six points from this week's matches to hold off their competitiors, with their last group match coming mid-week, with Qatar's Al-Sadd (Thursday 6:15am) the opponents.

READ MORE: Socceroos approach important AFC Champions League outings 

 

Rest of Europe

Toulouse's promotion celebrations have been made to wait a little longer than expected, with Denis Genreau's side having had their lead at the top cut after a draw mid-week. Nine points now separate Toulouse from the sides outside the automatic promotion places with just five matches to play, with next week being the earliest possible time that the side from the south of France can secure Ligue 1 football next season.

To achieve that, Genreau and his team will need to overcome mid-table outfit Niort at home (Tuesday 4:45am AEST). 

Midweek, Fran Karacic's Brescia returns to play in the Serie B, with the defender still in the hunt for a first campaign within Italy's top division next season. Sitting just three points behind the crucial automatic promotion places, Brescia will need to continue their seven match unbeaten run against SPAL (Tuesday 2am AEST), to keep their promotion hopes alive.

Four games unbeaten in the league, Joel King and Odense BK will be hoping to continue this form in the Danish SuperLiga, when they travel to mid-table side Aarhus Gymnastikforening (Monday 2am AEST). The 21-year-old will be looking to return for another 90 minute performance, following a rest in his last match for OB, after more than 10 consecutive starts since joining the club.

To Turkey now, where Awer Mabil and his side Kasimpasa have accrued a solid run of results, with five victories in their past six matches. On the surface, their next opponent, being domestic giants Besiktas away from home (Tuesday 3:30am AEST), seems to be a formidable task considering the club's enormous history of success. Yet the downfall of the home side and the rapid rise of Mabil and his team, will have many expecting a positive result for the travelling outfit this weekend.

Aziz Behich is also closing in on another successful Turkish Süper Lig campaign, after helping secure safety for club side Giresunspor. With five matches to play, Giresunspor have a chance to progress further up the table and create momentum heading into next campaign, starting with a clash away at Fatih Karagümrük (Saturday 11:00pm AEST).

One Socceroo will be out to avenge another in Norway, with Gianni Stensness' Viking Fotballklubb facing the team that dramatically knocked out Tom Rogic's Celtic side from UEFA Champions League qualification, Bodø/Glimt (Monday 2am). Stensness' side sit just a point behind their next opponents, who currently occupy the league's top spot, with the competition's leading position very much up for grabs if Viking can emerge victorious.

The United States

After a strong start to the campaign, Milos Degenek's Columbus Crew are currently five matches without a win as they approach an away trip to Sporting Kansas City (Sunday 10:30am AEST).

Degenek and his backline have performed admirably in a strong MLS competition this season, but will require a helping hand from their forward line which has scored just once in their last four matches.