It’s be all or end all for the United Arab Emirates and Australia here as the two nations meet in the final chapter of the long and grueling World Cup qualification stage with the winner of this clash set to make it to the World Cup in the winter.
This is nothing new for Australia, who are now entering their 10th chance to win the play-offs out in Asia.
https://t.co/BsdYurk4Qx pic.twitter.com/vm1wYs42DS— ÖFB - oefb.at (@oefb1904) June 6, 2022
https://t.co/BsdYurk4Qx pic.twitter.com/vm1wYs42DS
Back in 1974 was the first time the Socceroos won the play-offs in their attempts to get to the World Cup, and subsequently won the final battle and made it to West Germany that year.
Four more play-off efforts would come between 1978-2002, and Australia would lose each of them until they qualified via the play-offs in 2006.
The country then went on to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and the 2014 finals via an automatic place for the first time ever, before another brutal play-off battle was needed for Russia 2018 as they now need to do the same as they did back then and win at all costs to make it to a record four finals in a row.
It has been a pretty tough run in for Australia, however. They are on a three-game winless streak since easing past Vietnam 4-0, with them drawing 2-2 with Oman, before losing to both Japan and Saudi Arabia which has forced them to miss out on an automatic qualification spot.
In the end, the Socceroos claimed 15 points from their Third Round Group B campaign after previously winning the Second Round group by winning all eight games and conceding just two goals and scoring 28.
When the competition stepped up, however, Australia ended up with just four wins from 10 games, conceding nine and scoring only 15.
Australia also come into this game without some key players and manager Graham Arnold sees Hull City's Callum Elder, Stoke City's Harry Souttar, Celtic's Tom Rogic and Melbourne Victory's Chris Ikonomidis absent from the squad due to injuries.
As for the UAE, they squeezed into this play-off battle by a narrow three-point lead above Iraq, as they stunningly beat South Korea on the final group game against all the odds to move them three clear of Iraq after losing to them just five days prior.
They are a much weaker side than that of the Aussies, and their three wins and poor record of seven goals scored in qualifying does not make for good reading ahead of this one. Forebet predicts Australia to make history and win here with the game seeing under 2.5 goals.