FIFA World Cup Match Report: Tunisia 0 Australia 1

A spirited Australia has secured a famous 1-0 win over Tunisia in its second match of Group D at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ on Saturday night (AEDT), keeping alive hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.

Mitch Duke’s sensational first-half header proved the difference as the Socceroos bossed the opening 45 minutes, before resolutely holding off a determined Tunisia in the second stanza.

The result is just Australia’s third victory at the FIFA World Cup and first since 2010 against Serbia.

The Aussies also kept their first clean sheet in more than 48 years after achieving the feat during their inaugural appearance in 1974.

Graham Arnold made just the solitary change to his starting line-up, which was enforced, after Nathaniel Atkinson sustained an ankle knock against France with Fran Karacic a natural replacement at right-back.

Australia began the match with the ascendancy, dominating possession and delivered several crosses into the area which the Tunisian back three of Dylan Bronn, Yassine Meriah and Montassar Talbi dealt with relative ease.

Nevertheless, Craig Goodwin and Mathew Leckie were lively and provided excellent width to stretch the Tunisians.

The Aussies took a deserved lead on 23 minutes, employing the same modus operandi that had forced Tunisia on the backfoot, albeit with a slice of luck.

Goodwin’s cross took a wicked deflection, but Duke did excellently to adjust his body and expertly flick his header beyond Aymen Dahmen, becoming Australia’s eighth goal-scorer at the FIFA World Cup.

The Green and Gold may have been substantially outnumbered in the crowd, but on the pitch it was Arnold’s men that looked in complete control and took the sting out of them.

The Socceroos won the midfield and overall physical battle, winning challenges, creating chances, and brought a real sense of urgency and dynamism.

However, there were two heart in the mouth moments to end the half. Harry Souttar committed a desperate block to deny Mohamed Drager before captain Youssef Msakni squandered a golden chance to draw the Eagles of Carthage level, when he put wide Issam Jebali’s low cross from close range.

It meant Australia went into the half-time break with a lead for the first time ever at the major tournament.  

Tunisia showed more desire in the second-half without ever troubling Australia.

Arnold turned to his bench just past the hour mark, introducing Ajdin Hrustic and Jamie Maclaren for their FIFA World Cup debuts with Riley McGree and Duke making way.

Maclaren was close to setting up City teammate Leckie for a tap-in when his lowly-driven cross was just beyond the outstretched reach of the winger.

Tunisia applied more pressure as the match wore on, but for every question thrown, Australia always had an answer with Harry Souttar defending admirably, executing last-ditch recovery tackles.

It was a fearless approach from the Socceroos, who on the balance of play, warranted their win and now sets up a mouth-watering tie against Denmark on Matchday 3.

Opta Insights

• Mat Ryan and Mathew Leckie both made their eighth World Cup starts for Australia, which sets a new record for the nation at the finals. Indeed, only Mark Bresciano (9 games, 6 starts) and Tim Cahill (9 games, 7 starts) have made more World Cup appearances for the Socceroos than Ryan and Leckie (both 8).
• Mitchell Duke is the second Australian player to score a header at the World Cup, after Tim Cahill who did so twice (v Serbia in 2010 and Chile in 2014).
• Mitchell Duke has scored five goals in his last eight starts in all competitions for Australia, with four of these goals being headers.
• Australia have scored the opening goal in both of their games at the 2022 World Cup – they had only gone 1-0 up in two of their 16 games in the competition before this.
• Nine of Australia's 15 goals at the World Cup have been scored by players aged 30 or over, the highest percentage of any side to score more than once in the competition (60% - excluding own goals).
• Australia kept just their second clean sheet in 18 games at the World Cup (also 0-0 vs Chile in 1974), with their shutout today ending a run of 14 consecutive games in which they'd conceded.
• All three of Australia's wins at the FIFA World Cup have been against teams from different continents (Asia, Europe, Africa), the joint-highest such record in the competition, along with Algeria and Iran.
• Australia have attempted 9 shots in this game, their highest total in a single match in the 2022 World Cup.
• Graham Arnold is the first Australian-born coach to win a match at the FIFA World Cup Finals.

Match Details

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™
Saturday, 26 November 2022 (AEDT)
Tunisia 0
Australia 1 (Duke 23’)
Al Janoub Stadium

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ - Group D Matchday 3

Australia v Denmark
Date: Thursday, 1 December 2022
Venue: Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Kick-off: 2:00am (AEDT)
Watch: LIVE and FREE on SBS and SBS On Demand