Australia had a poor start to Group C, picking up just one point from two matches. They lost 0-1 to Bahrain at home and drew 0-0 with Indonesia. This disappointing result forced coach Graham Arnold to leave the team.
Coach Tony Popovic has been trusted to replace him, to save the Socceroos' World Cup dream. This strategist hopes that the whole team will show unity and desire to find their first victory, when the team plays at home against China.
“At the moment, the team’s form in recent matches has not been good. I think that is very clear. But I want the players to have the right attitude to return to their best form. They need to know why they are here and who they represent.
I am sure that when we are together, united and eager, they will return to their original image,” said Tony Popovic.
Australia have injuries to Massimo Luongo and Connor Metcalfe, leading to Luke Brattan (Macarthur FC) and Patrick Yazbek (Nashville SC) being called up as replacements.
Popovic also recalled right-back Jason Geria, who returned to the national team after an eight-year absence, while Nishan Velupillay and Paul Izzo were among the new recruits called up this time around.
Similarly, the Chinese team also faced many difficulties in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. They lost both of their first two matches. After a 0-7 defeat to Japan, the Chinese team continued to lose 1-2 to Saudi Arabia despite playing with an extra man early on.
That puts a lot of pressure on coach Branko Ivankovic. China's chances of winning against Australia are even more difficult because they are at risk of missing captain Wu Lei. The striker is suffering from a rib injury, while A Lan and Yang Zexiang are also recovering and have withdrawn from the training camp. Cheng Jin, Hu Hetao and other strikers have been called up to replace them.
In terms of form, the Australian team won 4, drew 1, and lost 1 in their last 6 matches. Meanwhile, the Chinese team only won 1 in their last 6 matches, losing all 3 of their last matches.
The head-to-head record between the two sides is fairly even, with eight wins each and three draws in their previous 19 encounters. Their most recent clash ended 1-1 in a 2021 World Cup qualifier.
With new energy from Tony Popovic, home field advantage and higher strength, the Australian team is likely to win against the Chinese team.
Score prediction: Australia 2-0 China.
