Australia will face Egypt where both teams are fighting for a historic place in the last eight. Mohamed Salah is back to lead the Pharaohs – but faces a tough and hungry Socceroos team.
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The question everyone has been asking is whether Mohamed Salah is ready for the game and a little while ago the Egypt fans got a positive answer.
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Australia’s starting eleven
Australia (XI): Beach – Circati, Bos, Behich, Souttar, Herrington – Metcalfe, O’Neill, Irvine – Irankunda, Volpato
Substitutes: Ryan, Izzo, Degenek, Geria, Trewin, Burgess, Devlin, Okon-Englstler, Toure, Hrustic, Mabil, Velupillay, Yengi
Egypt’s starting eleven
Egypt (XI): Shoubir – Ibrahim, Hany, Rabia, Hafez – Ashour, Zico, Fathy, Attia – Salah, Marmoush
Substitutes: Elshenawy, Soliman, Alaa, Abdelmaguid, Alaa, Dongo, Saber, Trezeguet, Abdelkarim, Hassan, Adel, Zizo
How to watch the match
Kick-off: Friday at 19:00 BST (14:00 ET / 11:00 PT)
TV (UK): BBC One
Streaming: BBC iPlayer app and BBC Sport website
Key figures
Australia:
- Australia’s draw against Paraguay was their first 0-0 World Cup draw since meeting Chile in 1974
- They were held goalless in two consecutive games in a World Cup for the first time in 52 years
- Two goals in the group stage tied Australia’s lowest goal production in a World Cup group stage since 1974, when they did not score at all
- Lucas Herrington (18 years, 294 days) became the youngest player to start for Australia in World Cup history – and the second youngest to play for the Socceroos overall (Garang Kuol was 18 years and 68 days)
- Jackson Irvine is the third player with 10 World Cup appearances for Australia, after Mathew Leckie (11) and Mathew Ryan (10)
Egypt:
- This is the first time Egypt has reached the playoffs after playing in the group stage
- Mahmoud Saber’s goal after 4 minutes and 26 seconds against Iran was Egypt’s fastest in World Cup history
- Mostafa Shobeir is the second Egyptian goalkeeper to save a penalty at the World Cup – after Essam El-Hadary, who did it against Saudi Arabia in 2018
- Mohamed Salah is the first Egypt player to make five World Cup starts – but the 57 minutes against Iran were his fewest in a World Cup match, 19 minutes less than ever before
- Trezeguet has two direct goal points (one goal, one assist) in this championship. In the three World Cup matches he played in 2018, he had none.
Our Prediction
Australia played a low-scoring game against Paraguay, and if Tony Popovic’s side can keep the lead again, they could have just enough to beat an injury-prone Egypt side. Egypt have yet to keep a clean sheet in this tournament, but have not lost by more than one goal in their last 15 matches – including friendlies.
Divination: Australia 1–0 Egypt
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