Australia vs. China Preview, Odds, Prediction

Bankwest Stadium in Sydney will be the venue of a massive showdown between Australia and China. The two nations are entering these World Cup qualifiers as the favorites for advancing to Qatar even though Japan and Saudi Arabia also have the same goal. Both sides are in superb form posting nothing but wins recently, which promises a good match down under. On top of that, the rivalry here is enormous, which only adds more spice to the whole situation.

Preview

Australia (-166) come in this match with eight straight victories, only two of them in which they couldn’t keep clean sheets. Some would say that the rivals weren’t respectable, with Kuwait, Chinese Taipei, Nepal, or Jordan, but still, six clean sheets need to be acknowledged.

The Aussies were perfect in the second stage of the Asian qualifiers, winning all eight games with a goal difference of 28-2. This round’s contests will be much tougher, and Graham Arnold’s guys need to be even better than before.

Tom Rogic in the midfield, and Aaron Mooy are going to lead the midfield and be the motors of this crew. The experienced duo has a lot behind them, and it is expected that both guys dictate the pace and the rhythm of the Australian team. Trent Sainsbury, the 29-year old defender from Kortrijk, is the focal point of a robust and tough defensive line, one of the best in Asia.

China (+425) has five wins in a row, allowing just one goal during that span. The overall goal difference in these events is 19-1, with that one allowed a goal in a 3-1 victory over Syria in the latest match.

With that triumph, China ened behind the Syrians in Group A, having fewer points, but the Chinese crew advanced to the next stage as the best ranked second-placed team. In late 2019 this team didn’t look good at all, having some unexpected losses, and that was when Marcelo Lipi decided to resign and was later replaced by Li Tie.

From that moment on, the national team’s form rose sharply, beating each opponent very confidently. All but one player in China are playing for the domestic clubs. That sole exception is Wu Lei, who is currently contracted to the Spanish Segunda member, Espanyol.

Head to Head Matches

Australia and China met six years ago. The match was in the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup, and the Aussies advanced after a 2-0 win, secured by Tim Cahill’s brace. The fantastic forward scored in the 48th and the 65th minute.

We just need to say that four of the past five matches between these rivals saw just one side netting.

Prediction

This will be a very tough match, but Australia should win when considering the overall quality of their team. From our point of view, China’s advantage is the fact that all the players know one another very well, as they play for domestic teams. Still, the quality of the league is limited, and Australian players all compete at a much higher level. On top of that, the Socceroos will have the home-court edge, which isn’t that big in the COVID-19 era, but still, it is a solid factor.

Pick: Australia Wins -166