Mitchell Duke's sublime header seals 1-0 victory for Australia against Tunisia and puts them in strong position to reach the knockout stages as dogged Aussies claim their first win at the World Cup for 12 years
- Australia beat Tunisia 1-0 to keep their World Cup campaign alive
- Mitchell Duke scored the only goal of the game for the Socceroos
- It is Australia's first win at a World Cup since they beat Serbia in 2010
- Graham Arnold's men will face Denmark in final group game on Wednesday
- Click here for the latest World Cup 2022 news, fixtures, live action and results
Australia secured their first World Cup win since 2010 as Mitchell Duke's first half header secured a 1-0 win over Tunisia in Group D.
Victory for Australia lifts them up to second in Group D, ahead of today’s opponents after their first win in a World Cup finals since defeating Serbia in 2010.
Tunisia dropped to bottom of the group on goal difference with one point to their name.
Both sets of players entered the Al Janoub Stadium to a symphony of noise, the Australian players greeted by jeers and boos from the Tunisia fans from the off every time they touched the ball.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/26/12/64960179-11469915-image-a-53_1669465692350.jpg)
Australia won their first World Cup game in 12 years with a 1-0 win over Tunisia
![An emotional Graham Arnold shared a hug with Tim Cahill after the game](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/26/12/64960181-11469915-image-a-54_1669465695559.jpg)
An emotional Graham Arnold shared a hug with Tim Cahill after the game
Australia manager Graham Arnold was looking for a timely response from his players after their heavy 4-1 defeat to defending champions France on Matchday One, whilst Tunisia were looking for their first win of the competition after drawing 0-0 with Denmark.
And the Socceroos boss got exactly the response he was looking for.
'I'm just hugely proud of the boys, they showed that great fighting Aussie spirit tonight. I expect we made the nation very proud,' he said after the game.
'The other night we played against the world champions and the boys had the same effort level.
When the doubters hate us, bring it on. I said to the boys after the game it was the best friendly we could ever have, a lot of those mistakes were removed tonight and I couldn't be prouder of the boys.
'Now we move forward, yes we achieved one thing but it's nothing, there is more to do.'
The Socceroos started the game the brighter of the two sides, pinning Tunisia deep into their own half, but were unable to impose any real threat to Aymen Mathlouthi in the Tunisian goal.
Although the game started with a lack of quality and cutting edge dynamism, the desire from both sets of players was evident. Tunisia’s Montassar Talbi then Australia’s Jackson Irvine both flying in with fully committed, aggressive challenges, to the delight of both sets of supporters.
The first real chance of the game fell to Tunisia midfielder Mohamed Drager in the 21st minute, but his long range effort sailed over the Australian’s crossbar to goalkeeper Matt Ryan’s relief. However two minutes later, Graham Arnold’s side seized the initiative and took the lead.
Australia worked the ball well from inside their own 18-yard-box to the left-hand side to winger Craig Goodwin, whose deflected cross fell invitingly to Mitchell Duke, and the forward pounced to brilliantly flick it past Mathlouthi to put the Socceroos in front.
![Mitchell Duke scored the only goal of the game as he put Australia ahead in the first half](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/26/12/64958641-11469915-image-a-51_1669465596733.jpg)
Mitchell Duke scored the only goal of the game as he put Australia ahead in the first half
![The forward (right) worked selflessly throughout the game for his team](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/26/12/64958639-11469915-image-a-52_1669465603333.jpg)
The forward (right) worked selflessly throughout the game for his team
![Australian fans were vastly outnumber at the Al Janoub Stadium but made their support felt](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/26/12/64960237-11469915-image-a-61_1669465877932.jpg)
Australian fans were vastly outnumber at the Al Janoub Stadium but made their support felt
On the basis of how the game had started for both sides, Arnold’s men were deservedly in front, Tunisia being made to pay for their lethargic opening 25 minutes.
It took until the 40th minute for Tunisia to impose on the Australian goal again and the Eagles of Carthage should have levelled the match.
After good work from Aissa Laidouni to wriggle into the Australian penalty area, the midfielder found Drager at the mercy of the goal, but Stoke defender Harry Souttar was on hand to superbly block to preserve Australia’s slender advantage.
The Australian’s continued to ride their luck as Youssef Msakni was found unmarked in the Socceroos six-yard box, but he could only direct his fierce strike narrowly wide of Ryan’s goal as Australia went into the interval ahead.
![Australia produced at outstanding defensive effort to keep Tunisia at bay in the second half](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/26/12/64958897-11469915-image-a-47_1669465447113.jpg)
Australia produced at outstanding defensive effort to keep Tunisia at bay in the second half
![Harry Souttar (left) pulled off a series of crucial blocks as Tunisia build up the pressure](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/26/12/64958921-11469915-image-a-48_1669465451601.jpg)
Harry Souttar (left) pulled off a series of crucial blocks as Tunisia build up the pressure
![Jackson Irvine put in a huge shift in midfield, as the Socceroos dominated the first half](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/26/12/64960263-11469915-image-a-62_1669465928547.jpg)
Jackson Irvine put in a huge shift in midfield, as the Socceroos dominated the first half
After the break, Tunisia continued their dominance from the first half, however they struggled to break down the low-defensive block from Australia.
Substitute Ferjani Sassi summing up Tunisian frustration as he fired well wide of goal 60 minutes in.
Tunisia's head coach Jalel Kadri turned to former Sunderland winger Wahbi Khazri for inspiration from the bench for the final twenty minutes, with defeat looming for the African nation as Arnold’s game plan was set in motion.
![Aaron Mooy was one of the Socceroos' best players on Saturday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/26/12/64960291-11469915-image-a-65_1669466039355.jpg)
Aaron Mooy was one of the Socceroos' best players on Saturday
![Tunisia's World Cup hopes hang by a thread after their defeat to Australia](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/26/12/64960259-11469915-image-a-64_1669465998015.jpg)
Tunisia's World Cup hopes hang by a thread after their defeat to Australia
Australia should have killed the game off 71 minutes in after Matthew Leckie narrowly missed out on getting a touch on the ball six-yards-out from substitute Jamie Maclaren’s inviting cross, but within seconds of almost extending their advantage, Tunisia almost levelled with their first shots on target in the game.
Goalkeeper Ryan was called into a sharp save at his near post to deny Msakni, before claiming the ball comfortably after Australia failed to clear their lines properly.
Defender Souttar was a man possessed towards the end of the match, blocking anything the Tunisians threw at the Socceroos goal, as Australia held on for a fine win.
Relive all the action from the World Cup Group D clash between Tunisia and Australia with Sportsmail's live blog
That's all from us today. What a huge, huge win for Australia that was. The Socceroos put their 4-1 drubbing against France behind them to seal a first win at the World Cup in 12 years and are now tantalisingly close to reach the knockout stages for the first time since 2006.
To do so, they will have to at least draw against Denmark on Wednesday, depending on the outcome of France vs Denmark later today.
We will have a full match report and player ratings come your way your shortly, plus all the reactions from Al Janoub Stadium. In the meantime, thanks for following our coverage and don't forget to join us on Wednesday!
Australia have three points from two games in Group D and trail France only on goal difference, but Les Bleus are yet to play their second game.
They will do so against Denmark later today and could clinch a berth in the Round of 16 with a win, which would also leave Australia needing just a point against Denmark to go through.
Tunisia's World Cup campaign, meanwhile, looks in danger of petering out.
Graham Arnold looks absolutely spent, but utterly delighted as he speaks to the media on the pitch.
'I'm just hugely proud of the boys, they showed that great fighting Aussie spirit tonight. I expect we made the nation very proud,' he says.
'The other night we played against the world champions and the boys had the same effort level. When the doubters hate us, bring it on. I said to the boys after the game it was the best friendly we could ever have, a lot of those mistakes were removed tonight and I couldnt be prouder of the boys.
'Now we move forward, yes we achieved one thing but it's nothing, there is more to do.
Mark Schwarzer is unsurprisingly extremely pleased in the BBC studio.
'Absolutely phenomenal,' he says.
'With everything that Australia have been through, everything that was up against them and they delivered today.'
Match-winner Mitch Duke is incredibly emotional in his post-match interview.
'No words, such a big moment for my family and the supporters,' he says.
'It is the best feeling in the world, but try not to get too caught up because there is one more game to win and get out of the group.
'[It's] The best moment of my life and my football career, there are no words. Just so happy and proud of the boys. We made so many sacrifices to get here. It is the best feeling in the world.
'Honestly, I will go to war with these boys. A huge shift by the lads, keeping the clean sheet and getting a result, we fought until the end, everyone gave 110% and that is all you can ask. We showed the Aussie spirit and we got the result.'
Graham Arnold and his players form a circle in the middle of the field and the Socceroos boss looks very emotional as he addresses his troops. He then instructs them to go and clap the Australia fans in the stands and he appears visibly happy as he soaks in the atmosphere, but sharing a big embrace with Tim Cahill.
Australia had to deliver and they did. It wasn't pretty by any stretch of imagination, but it was effective and it gives them a brilliant chance to reach the Round of 16 for the first time since 2006
There goes the final whistle and Australia have done it! They have their first World Cup win in 12 years and their World Cup campaign is still alive.
The Socceroos were absolutely superb and fully deserved the three points. They will now be interested spectators when France play Denmark later today.
The Socceroos break forward, but Mabil wastes a glorious chance to seal the game after taking a heavy touch.
Another cross comes into the box, but Ryan comes off his line to collect it. Tunisia are rapidly running out of time and out of the ideas as the Socceroos simply refuse to budge. This has been an outstanding defensive effort.
Sassi gets himself booked for a foul on Mooy, as Australia waste some precious seconds and give themselves some much-needed breathing room.
Mooy is again in the right place at the right time as Australia win possession in midfield and relieve the pressure. Souttar, meanwhile, stands tall yet again to snuff out a move that looked to be developing into a chance for Tunisia.
Tunisia come again, as Kechrida beats his man down the right hand-side and pulls the ball back across the goal for Khazri, whose effort is tame and straight at Ryan.
Can Australia withstand more pressure? Six minutes have been added on.
The chances are now coming thick and fast for Tunisia, with Australia visibly tiring. Sliti combines well with a teammate and gets into the box, but he has no support and can only fire a shot straight at Ryan.
Tunisia break forward as Khenissi pounces on a loose ball after a mistake from Rowles, but Souttar puts in another despairing block to avert the danger. The Socceroos defender is in the right place yet again soon after, stopping Sliti in his tracks.
Leckie and Goodwin, who have worked tirelessly, make way for Awer Mabil and Keanu Baccus as Arnold looks to inject some fresh legs for the final five minutes.
Australia fail to clear a corner and Talbi fires a spectacular volley at goal. He makes good contact and he's got a decent technique for a centre-half, but his effort is straight at Ryan, who gathers with aplomb.
Tunisia revert back to some tried and trusted route one football. Nothing wrong with chucking it in the mixer per se, but a lot of wrong when every delivery seems to find the head of Souttar, who has been superb for the Socceroos so far.
Leckie is down and receiving treatment after busting a gut in an ultimately futile effort to keep the move alive. The Tunisian fans aren't happy with the amount of time it's taking him to get back up and make their feelings known.
Arnold doesn't particularly look pleased either, as he waves his arms frantically on the touchline while barking instruction to his players.
Milos Degenek replaces Karacic at right-back for Australia. The Socceroos have so far withstood Tunisia's pressure without particular risks, with Souttar again imperious at the back.
Mooy controls the ball well on the edge of the box, but blazes his effort over the bar. Meanwhile, Tunisia make two more changes as Bronn and Jebali are replaced by Taha Khenissi and Wajdi Kechrida.
How costly could Leckie's miss prove to be for Australia? Tunisia look to make the Socceroos pay straight away, but Ryan does well to parry Msakni's left-footed effort away. Australia fail to clear their lines and Msakni has a second bite of the cherry, but his shot is straight at Ryan.
Leckie is inches away from making it 2-0! What a chance for Australia and what a let-off for Tunisia. Maclaren breaks down the left and whips a ball across the box, where Leckie is in acres of space on the penalty spot.
He lunges forward, but fails to make contact with the ball. Any kind of touch would have almost certainly made it 2-0 Australia.
Laidouni makes way for Wahbi Khazri, as Tunisia's record World Cup goalscorer enters the frame. The north Africans are desperate for some quality in the final third of the pitch, as they have struggled to significantly test Australia's back four so far.
The game has gone very scrappy, which will suit Australia just fine.
Abdi gets himself booked for tugging Irvine's shirt in midfield.
Graham Arnold rings the changes for the Socceroos as Jamie Maclaren and Ajdin Hrustic come into the game in place of McGree and Duke, who have put in an enormous effort.
Tunisia bypass Australia's pressing again and look on the verge of creating something dangerous as they shift the ball forward at pace. That is until Sassi gets hold of it and unleashes an effort that flies miles wide of Ryan's goal. The Tunisian will not want to see that again, what an absolutely dreadful effort.
Australia can't keep hold of the ball at the moment and Msakni looks to make them pay for it. He cuts in from the left, beating two men before getting to the byline, from where he delivers a teasing cross that is palmed away by Ryan.
Tunisia are playing with far more urgency but are yet to create a clear cut chance in the second half.
Goodwin is again in acres of space on the left, but his cross fizzles across the box with no navy blue shirts in sight. Australia win possession again, but Duke can't get enough purchase to head Leckie's cross on target.
Ryan flies off his line to punch the ball clear after Tunisia built up pressure on the Socceroos' defence after winning a free-kick in a promising position. Australia have looked far less comfortable so far in the second half form a defensive standpoint, but that is to be expected as Tunisia pile men forward. Graham Arnold will not want his side to sit too deep and invite pressure, however.
The danger for Tunisia is that their new-found attacking approach could leave space in behind for Australia to exploit. Goodwin does exactly that as he's played through by a pass from McGree, but his cross finds nobody waiting in the box and a decent chance goes begging.
The first half pattern has been turned on its head, with Australia now camped in their own half as Tunisia display the kind of urgency that was nowhere to be seen in the first 45 minutes. Sliti looks to weave his way into the box, but Australia avert the danger at the second time of asking.
Tunisia look far more purposeful early in the second half and have significantly upped the tempo after playing the first 45 minutes a pedestrian pace. They win a couple of corners early doors, but the Socceroos deal well with both.
Tunisia have made a change at halftime as Ferjani Sassi replaces Drager. From a tactical standpoint, that means they have shifted from a back five to a flat back four with an extra in midfield to counter Australia's dominance in the middle of the park.
The teams are back for the second half.
This is the first time Australia have ever led at halftime in a World Cup game in 18 matches. Can they hold on? We're about to find out.
A notoriously difficult man to please, Danny Murphy has been impressed with Australia's effort.
'Australia have been absolutely tremendous,' he said on commentary on the BBC at the end of the first half.
'The work-rate, the quality. That man Mitchell Duke has epitomised everything that has been good for them.'
The BBC panel have been discussing the first half and it's fair to say Mark Schwarzer is pleased with what he has seen so far, even though he acknowledged quality has been in short supply.
'Fantastic. Australia have done everything they said they wanted to do and took the game to Tunisia from the off,' he says.
'I never said it was going to be pretty, it's a battle but the plan was to be on the front foot.'
And that's that for the first half. Tunisia grew into the game towards the end of the first 45 minutes, but Australia were by far the better team and fully deserve their lead at the break.
Tunisia should be level! What a glorious chance that is. The Eagles of Carthage come forward down the right and Jebali beats his man to whip a teasing cross across the box, which Mskani directs towards the goal with a smart flick that fizzles just past Ryan's post.
Australia keep up the pressure and win a corner, but nobody can get on the end of Goodwin's inviting delivery. Meanwhile, we will have five minutes of added time at the end of the first half.
Australia win a freekick in Tunisia's half and Goodwin's delivery is a good one. Duke rises above the defenders and connects well, but his header is straight at Dahmen.
The Socceroos regain possession quickly, but Karacic makes a make of a decent chance, miscuing his left-footed effort and Tunisia can clear their lines.
Australia clear the resulting corner and Ryan looks to claim and collect the second ball off Jebali's head, but spills it and lands awkwardly. Fortunately for the Socceroos, the referee intervenes to award a rather generous freekick to Australia.
Tunisia have their biggest chance of the first half, following some sloppy defending from the Socceroos. A loose ball ends at Drager's feet, but as he pulls the trigger Souttar pulls off a magnificent sliding tackle to block the shot. The Stoke City defender has again been very impressive for Australia.
Mooy plays a beautiful ball around the corner for Leckie, who runs at the Tunisian defence before being dispossessed. Msakni leads the counterattack but his effort is blocked.
Australia's fullbacks were pinned in their own half against France on Wednesday, but it has been notable how much further up the pitch they have played today. The change in dynamic has been aided in no small part by the fact they are not up against Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, and by the fact Tunisia's wingbacks have sat surprisingly deep so far in this first half.
That has served the Socceroos well so far, with Goodwin and Leckie combining well with Behich and Karacic on both wings.
Tunisia have offered very little in attack, but have seemingly plenty of bite off the pitch. Duke wins a free kick close to the Tunisian dug out and he gets the ball rifled back his way by substitute Hannibal Mejbri for his troubles.
The Aussie striker is nonplussed and exchanges angry words with the Birmingham City loanee, before the referee swiftly restores calm.
Quality, truth be told, has been at a premium so far but it's impossible to fault Australia's effort so far. Irvine, Mooy and Leckie have covered every blade of grass in midfield so far, while Duke has worked hard up front to win possession and help out in the middle of the park when required.
He has, to borrow from one of the great truism of lower leagues strikers, put himself about.
Laïdouni earns himself a yellow card after flattening Goodwin. Tunisia look far from settled here, but at the same Australia will be mindful of how quickly turned sour for them after taking an early lead against France.
Australia are ahead! And they deserve it too. Souttar starts the move and Duke comes deep to flick the ball to Leckie in midfield, with the latter spreading the ball out wide to Goodwin.
Meanwhile, Duke gets on his bike and bolts down field, where he connects with Goodwin's cross, sending a looping header nestling into the net at the far post. A brilliant finish and a deserved lead for the Socceroos.
At last, Tunisia manage to beat Australia's pressing as a series of quick vertical passes open up the Socceroos in midfield. The move, however, eventually peters out as Msakni is crowded out by Australian defenders as he looks to make room for a shot in the box.
Tunisia have been distinctly second best so far and have found it hard to get any rhythm into their passing, with the Socceroos pressing well and closing down quickly in midfield. Mooy in particular has been really busy so far and Australia will need him to be in the game if they are to get something out of this contest.
Mooy finds Goodwin with a smart backheel, but the subsequent cross comes to nothing. The Aussies find space again down the right wing after Duke wins possession and plays Karacic in, but the right-back has nobody to aim to in the box and a promising move comes to an end.
Like it was the case against France, Australia have made a bright start here with most of the football so far being played in Tunisia's half. The Socceroos have often sought to bypass Tunisia's pressing with Mat Ryan going long in a bid to give Duke something to feed off up front.
Australia fans may be vastly outnumbered at Al Janoub Stadium, but they're making themselves heard back home. This is the scene in Melbourne's Federation Square.
Australia enjoy a decent spell of possession with Leckie and Behich finding some early success down the left. The Sooceroos, however, have so far lacked the killer ball to open up Tunisia's defence, which has seldom been troubled in the opening eight minutes.
Australia win the ball in midfield after Tunisia enjoyed a good spell of possession and Mooy plays Leckie in on the left, but the latter's cross is easily dealt with. The Socceroos win the second ball and Mooy wins a free-kick in a decent after getting absolutely clattered. The Celtic midfielder swings it in, but Tunisia clear their lines comfortably.
It's been a cagey start at Al Janoub, with Tunisia looking to push forward straight from kick-off after the Socceroos gave possession away cheaply. Australia appear to have settled but they are up against a raucous crowd, which has greeted every Tunisian touch so far like it was a last-minute winner.
The Socceroos get the ball rolling and we're off!
TUNISIA: Dahmen, Bronn, Meriah, Talbi, Drager, Skhiri, Laidouni, Abdi, Sliti, Jebali, Msakni
AUSTRALIA: Ryan, Karacic, Souttar, Rowles, Behich, Mooy, Irvine, McGree, Leckie, Goodwin, Duke.
The teams are out on the pitch and we've had the anthems, both sang with gusto. Australia fans are vastly outnumbered by they are making themselves heard at the Al Janoub Stadium.
The former Australia goalkeeper has been speaking to BBC One ahead of the game and believes the Socceroos have something to build on, despite their loss to France.
'Nobody gave Australia any chance against France so to get that one out of the way, especially with the performance in the first 20 minutes, sets a good platform coming into this one,' he says.
Australia must avoid defeat to save their World Cup campaign today, but it's worth that during Graham Arnold's tenure remembering the Socceroos have often risen to the challenge when their backs were up against the wall.
Here's how.
Daniel Siebert takes charge of the game between Tunisia and Australia, as he makes his debut at the 2022 World Cup.
The German officiated three games at Euro 2020 and has precedents with Tunisia, having taken charge of their 2-0 loss against Algeria in the Arab Cup final last year.
It's been over 17 years since Australia and Tunisia last met, where a brace from Francileudo Santos was enough to give the African side a 2-0 victory in the FIFA Confederations Cup back in 2005.
They have only played one game prior to that fixture, where the Socceroos won 3-0 in an international friendly in October 1997.
In truth, today's clash does not have the makings of a World Cup classic. Tunisia and Australia have played 33 matches combined on football's biggest stage, racking up just four wins between them and averaging less than a goal a game.
Then again, records are there to be broken. Right?
Arnold has again reiterated he wasn't too disappointed with the loss against France, as he felt his players gave their all against the reigning champions.
'Of course they [the players] were down because we build their belief up so high, we give them the belief that we are going to give this a shot, but the most important thing is honesty,' he said.
'Afterwards, I said: "Lads, put our hands up, are we better players?" It was 100% honest, all the players know.'
Following the loss against France, Arnold has repeatedly stressed it would be unrealistic to expect Australia to compete with the best teams in the world.
The Socceroos boss has been speaking to SBS in Australia and struck an optimistic tone, despite his team's 4-1 drubbing against France.
'If you make a small mistake it turns into a big mistake,' he said when asked what he hopes his team will improve on against Tunisia.
'That is down to the quality of opposition. But overall, we focus more on what we did well. That was obviously the first 30 minutes. We have got to do that for 90.
'When you look at it, the first 30 minutes we did exceptionally well. But it was not through their good play that opened us up. If you look back at the game, their first real chance that they built up was in the 43rd minute. They put the ball over the crossbar. The other times it was our mistakes. Sloppy mistakes. It is about getting rid of them and we can control that. If we are sitting here today and saying we were completely outplayed, dominated, that is something maybe we cannot fix, but we made some mistakes and we have got to fix it.'
The Al Janoub Stadium is filling up nicely. Doha is home to an estimate 40,000 Tunisians, so expect to see plenty of red in the crowd tonight.
If you followed Australia's team announcement on Twitter, you could be forgiven for being confused about the starting XI for tonight. As ever, the Socceroos announced their line-up with two separate tweets.
The first consists of a short clip in which the players introduce themselves, while the latter has them listed according to their position. But while the clip correctly included Fran Karacic, the list mistakenly featured Nathaniel Atkinson in the starting XI.
The kind of faux pas that illustrates the perils of live tweeting, I guess. Helpfully, the Socceroos have since deleted the tweet and corrected it.
Tunisia make one change to the team that drew 0-0 with Denmark as Naim Sliti comes in for Anis Ben Slimane.
Australia's XI is in and, as expected, Fran Karacic comes in to replace the injured Nathaniel Atkinson, who picked up an ankle injury.
The teams have arrived at Al Janoub Stadium and the players are out to take an early look at the pitch.
It's another action-packed day in Qatar, with three more games to follow after Australia vs Tunisia.
At 1pm GMT (midnight AEDT) Saudi Arabia take on Poland looking to seal their place in the knockout rounds after their stunning win over Argentina. The Poles, on the other hand, are still looking for their first win of the tournament after a drab stalemate draw against Mexico in their opening game.
Elsewhere in Group C, Argentina will be hoping to get their World Cup campaign back on track when they play Mexico at 7pm GMT (6am Sunday AEDT) knowing that another defeat would bring down the curtain on Lionel Messi's last appearance at a World Cup.
Before that, France and Denmark round up the action in Group D at 4pm GMT (3am AEDT) with Les Bleus hoping to build on their 4-1 thrashing of Australia to book themselves a place in the Round of 16.
In case you missed any of the action yesterday, here's a quick recap of what happened on Day 6 of the World Cup.
Wales' hopes of reaching the knockout stages hang by a thread after losing 2-0 to Iran, as Roozbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian both scored deep into injury time as Carlos Queiroz's men bounced back from a 6-2 thrashing against England.
Wales must now beat England in their final group game on Tuesday and hope results go their way if they are to progress to the knockout stages for the first time in 64 years.
England remained top of Group B after a lacklustre 0-0 draw against the USA. Fresh from a brilliant performance against Iran, Gareth Southgate's men reverted to type and were laborious in possession and lacked any sort of attacking spark.
Meanwhile, hosts Qatar were knocked out of the tournament after losing 3-1 to Senegal and the Netherlands were held to 1-1 draw by Ecuador, leaving the two teams top of Group A a point ahead of Senegal.
Here's Sami Mokbel's report on why a disappointing night for England doesn't mean Southgate's men can't lift the World Cup.
Graham Arnold believes the World Cup has highlighted the quality of Asian teams and the challenges Australia faced in qualifying through the Asian confederation.
Saudi Arabia produced one of the great World Cup upsets on Wednesday, coming from behind to beat Argentina 2-1. Japan followed suit a day later, overturning a one-goal deficit to beat Germany 2-1.
The Socceroos finished behind Saudi Arabia and Japan in their qualifying group and Arnold suggested their success highlighted the gap in funding between them and Australia.
'I think it’s not so much the shock results, it’s the quality of the Asian nations,' he said in his press conference on Friday.
'In Australia we don’t respect Asia and what their qualities are. We don’t respect Japan and Saudi Arabia when we played against them in the qualifiers, everyone thought they were pushovers.
'But the amount of money that you see that the Asian nations are putting into the development of the game and what the game needs, compared to Australia, it’s ridiculous.'
Australia will find themselves in familiar surroundings on Saturday night, as their clash against Tunisia takes place at the Al Janoub Stadium, where they lost against France three days ago.
Located in Al-Wakrah, 17km south of Doha, the 40,000-capacity venue will also host the Socceroos' final group game against Denmark Thursday morning (AEDT).
The stadium hosted Switzerland's 1-0 win over Cameroon on Thursday and will be the stage of two more group games, with Serbia facing Cameroon on Monday and Ghana taking on Uruguay next Friday.
The Al Janoub Stadium will also host one of the Round 16 games, with the winners of Group E facing the runner-ups from Group F.
Tunisian coach Jalel Kadri has identified the Socceroos' athleticism as their greatest strength and has vowed to fight fire with fire tonight.
'These are the specificities of the Australian team, it has a high level of athletic performance,' Kadri said.
'They have players who are able to run very rapidly, who can ensure a good exploitation of opportunities.
'Nevertheless they have some weaknesses which we will be able to invest in.'
'And we have players who are ready to face this challenge.'
The stark reality of Australia's World Cup smashing at the hands of France has already become apparent, with the Socceroos tumbling from 22nd to 29th in the latest FIFA world rankings.
The Socceroos were one of the biggest losers of the World Cup after the latest round of rankings were released by FIFA.
Two other Asian nations emerged as the biggest winners, with Saudi Arabia marching up 13 ranking places to 14th after humbling Argentina, while Japan's huge win over Germany has the Blue Samurai rising from 21st in the world to 12th.
There was no such luck for Australia after being pumped 4-1 by defending champions France and defeat against 22nd ranked Tunisia could see them plunge even further down the rankings.
You can read more about it here.
Tunisia defender Mohamed Drager has urged his teammates not to underestimate Australia, despite their 4-1 hammering against France.
'They don’t have a lot to lose if you know what I mean,' he told NewsCorp.
'So it will be tough for us, and like a final as well, because we didn’t want Denmark. We got just a point, so we need to get to four points because the French team will be tough.
'To be honest, I have a lot of respect for this game against Australia because I think we didn’t speak too much about Australia. All the focus was more on Denmark and the French team.
'So I hope we don’t make the mistake as well to underestimating the Australians.'
Tunisia were impressive in holding Denmark to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday, a result which Drager believes has significantly raised expectations for the Carthage Eagles.
'I think it changed the expectations of the other teams that will face us,' he said.
'Obviously Denmark’s one of the best teams in Europe, especially the last two years. So yeah, the expectations gets a bit higher now.'
Nathaniel Atkinson has been ruled out of Australia's clash against Tunisia on Saturday, but Ajdin Hrustic has been deemed fit to start in a major boost for the Socceroos.
Atkinson suffered an ankle injury in the 4-1 defeat against France on Wednesday morning (AEDT) and was pictured with ice strapped to the join after the game.
Arnold confirmed Fran Karacic will replace the right-back against Tunisia and suggested Hrustic could also get the nod after recovering from a knee injury he picked up last month.
'[Hrustic] can start,' he said.
'We’ll see how he is […] and make sure he’s ready to go.'
The Socceroos boss also suggested he would not make sweeping changes to the side that lost to France and was non-committal when asked whether Jamia Maclaren may replace Mitchell Duke up front.
'The boys have pulled up fantastically well [...] so I don’t think there’ll be too many changes. We’ve gotta put our strongest line up out there,' Arnold said.
'I don’t want to give away the starting line-up. Jamie [Maclaren] is a great goalscorer, 'Mitchell Duke works hard. We’ve got some choices to make. At the end of the day I think you’ll see both of them on the field at some stage.'
Australia may go into the game as the underdogs, but that hasn't put off punters.
According to data from TAB, the Socceroos are $3.75 outsiders to win, while Tunisia are $2.10 favourites and the draw is $3.45. But despite that, 44 percent of the bets are on the Socceroos to win, with 45 percent backing Tunisia and the remaining 11 percent of bets backing the draw.
Tunisia start Wahbi Khazri is a $5 to open the scoring, with Aussie duo Jason Cummings and Mitchell Duke both at $8.50.
Australia haven't won a World Cup game in 12 years, since Tim Cahill and Brett Holman scored in a 2-1 win against Serbia in the final game of Group D at the 2010 World Cup.
Some 4,358 days have passed since and Graham Arnold conceded earlier this week he has been dreaming of ending that run.
'I haven’t slept for a long time, wanting that [a World Cup victory] so much,' he explained.
'And it’s not for me, it’s for the nation. Only two wins in 17 games. You know, it’s nothing more than I want than to put a smile on Australian faces, it’s not about me at all, if it was about me I probably would have left ages ago.
'You know, it’s about helping the kids.'
Graham Arnold is priming the Socceroos for a football war, ahead of Saturday's clash against Tunisia.
After copping a 4-1 drubbing from France, Australia's hopes of reaching the knockout stages for the first time in 16 years hinge on the game against the north Africans.
Ranked No30 in the world, the north Africans were impressive against Denmark and they will be backed by a vocal crowd on Saturday, with approximately 40,000 Tunisians estimated to live in Doha.
'We've got to be ready for that war,' Arnold told reporters.
'They are aggressive and they're going to have 40,000 fans behind them and it's going to be a truly amazing experience again for everyone.'
The Socceroos boss' message to his players is blunt.
'Fight fire with fire, especially from the start,' he said.
'And then when we're up, put the fire out.'
You can read more from the Socceroos boss here.
Australia's World Cup campaign got off to a disappointing start, with the Socceroos thrashed 4-1 by France in their opening game on Wednesday morning. Craig Goodwin gave Australia a shock early lead and they had the defending champions rattled for the first 20 minutes.
Les Bleus' class, however, eventually shone through as Adrien Rabiot and Olivier Giroud turned the game on its head within four minutes, while Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann ran rampant.
Mbappe added a second after the break, before Giroud completed his double. The left Australia bottom of the group and it means Graham Arnold's men must avoid defeat on Saturday if they are to retain any hopes of reaching the knockout stages for the first time in 16 years.
Tunisia, meanwhile, held Denmark to a stalemate draw on Tuesday in a game which featured a disallowed goal, an early contender for miss of the tournament and some late VAR drama.
The north Africans had a goal chalked off for offside and can count themselves lucky not to come away with all three points.
A win for Tunisia would temporarily put them top of the group at least until France face Denmark later today.
Good morning - or good evening if you're following us from Down Under - and welcome to Sportsmail's coverage of Tunisia vs Australia.
Kick-off at the Al Janoub Stadium is still some four hours away, but fear not. We will have all the build-up ahead of the game, including team news and the latest from the Socceroos camp as they look to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
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