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Australia beat Tunisia 1-0 at the Al Janoub Stadium on Saturday to register their first World Cup victory in 12 years as they provisionally moved up to second in Group D behind reigning champions France.

Striker Mitchell Duke scored midway through the first half with a glancing header past keeper Aymen Dahmen to give Australia the lead, while Tunisia’s best chance came when skipper Youssef Msakni shot just wide.

Tunisia brought on the squad’s top scorer Wahbi Khazri in the second half as they upped the tempo in search of an equaliser, but the Australian defence stood firm with goalkeeper and skipper Mat Ryan a calming presence at the back.

The victory snapped Australia’s seven-match winless run at World Cups since they last picked up three points in a victory over Serbia in 2010. France play Denmark in the other Group D encounter later on Saturday.

With their World Cup hopes already on the line, Argentina seek to overcome their opening game calamity on Saturday, as they tackle Group C rivals Mexico.

While the Albiceleste kicked off their quest for a third global crown by losing to rank outsiders Saudi Arabia, their Central American counterparts survived a scare to draw with Poland on Tuesday.

Match preview

Since losing to Brazil in the 2019 Copa America, Argentina had embarked on a national record 36-game unbeaten run, and as reigning South American champions, arrived among most pundits’ favourites for the final four at least.

Yet, all that momentum counted for little on the first day of their World Cup campaign, as Lionel Scaloni’s side let an early advantage slip from their grasp during the space of six second-half minutes at Lusail Stadium.

Leading through Lionel Messi’s opener from the penalty spot, the Albiceleste seemed in control of affairs at half time, having seen three other ‘goals’ ruled out for offside. Two Saudi Arabian strikes shortly after the interval turned the game on its head, however, and Group C’s underdogs held out to record a result that will echo through the ages.

With the last of their global triumphs coming back in the summer of 1986, Argentina were already under pressure to deliver a first World Cup trophy for approaching 40 years – particularly in what is set to be Messi’s swansong on the game’s grandest stage.

Therefore, Scaloni must quickly rally his troops before they tackle the nation that hosted their last success at this level: a Mexico side who sit one point above Argentina in the standings.

Having beaten El Tri in the World Cup’s first-ever edition in 1930, the Argentinians have more recently eliminated their Latin rivals twice in the last 16, and they also remain undefeated in the countries’ last 10 meetings dating back to 2004.

All of which plays in their favour if precedent is any guide, but the world will now be watching with anticipation as they respond to their seismic shock against the Saudis.

One of several goalless stalemates in the opening week of Qatar 2022, a 0-0 draw with Poland set Mexico’s tournament off to a relatively steady start on Tuesday, and in some respects a single-point haul was gratefully received by Tata Martino’s men in the end.

After Hector Moreno was deemed to have felled Robert Lewandowski in the box, the Polish marksman failed to convert his golden chance from the penalty spot, as veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa pulled off a crucial save.

That result sets up a potentially pivotal encounter in terms of qualification from Group C this weekend, as El Tri aim to reach the knockout phase once again.

Now making their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, the Mexicans have been eliminated at the last 16 stage in each of their last seven attempts, and ex-Argentina coach Martino is the man tasked with bringing a halt to that trend by defying expectation and making the quarter-finals.

La Seleccion last reached that point of the competition as hosts in 1986, when Saturday’s opponents went on to lift the trophy thanks to a Diego Maradona masterclass on Mexican soil.

Before this year’s squad can dream of emulating such a feat, though, they may well need to at least secure a second point in Lusail, or their hopes of progressing will be left hanging by a thread.

Team News

While Argentina’s talisman Lionel Messi trained away from the rest of his teammates on Thursday, the 35-year-old playmaker is expected to play from the start this weekend, thus sparing Lionel Scaloni a serious selection headache.

The Albiceleste captain’s left leg is his main source of concern, but it seems unlikely that Papu Gomez will be asked to deputise on Saturday. Therefore, Messi should headline an attacking trident also featuring Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria.

Having started on the bench in the loss to Saudi Arabia following a fitness issue, Lisandro Martinez could come in for either Cristian Romero or Nicolas Otamendi as part of Scaloni’s back four. Gonzalo Montiel and Alexis Mac Allister are also in contention.

Meanwhile, forwards Angel Correa and Paulo Dybala – the latter only just back from injury – are among several squad members hoping to play their first minutes of the finals.

Another striker recently returned to fitness, Mexico’s Raul Jimenez, will aim for promotion to the starting XI. The Wolverhampton Wanderers star made his first appearance for almost three months in El Tri’s final friendly and featured from the bench on Tuesday.

Tata Martino may instead turn to Henry Martin again, though, with Hirving Lozano and Alexis Vega offering support from the flanks.

Pachuca’s Luis Chavez – who played no part in the CONCACAF qualifiers but worked his way into the team during recent friendlies – should continue on the left side of a midfield trio in Martino’s 4-3-3 formation, while Ajax defender Jorge Sanchez starts at right-back.

Argentina possible starting lineup:
E. Martinez; Montiel, Romero, Li. Martinez, Tagliafico; De Paul, Paredes, Mac Allister; Messi, La. Martinez, Di Maria

Mexico possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Sanchez, Montes, Moreno, Gallardo; Alvarez, Herrera, Chavez; Lozano, Martin, Vega

Click on any of the links below to watch the game.

Kickoff is at 13:00 GMT [1PM ]

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LINEUPS

?? Poland XI: Szczesny; Cash, Glik, Kiwior, Bereszynski; Krychowiak, Bielik; Zielinski, Frankowski; Milik, Lewandowski

?? Saudi Arabia XI: Al-Owais; Abdulhamid, Al-Najei, Al-Bulayhi, Al-Burayk; Al-Malki, Al-Breik, Al-Amri, Kanno, Al-Dawsari; Al-Shehri

Poland take on surprise group leaders Saudi Arabia on Saturday, in a crucial battle for qualification in World Cup 2022 Group C.

Robert Lewandowski missed a penalty as the Bialo-czerwoni drew 0-0 to Mexico in Tuesday’s opener, while their opponents beat Argentina to pull off one of the greatest World Cup upsets in living memory.

Match preview

Following an uninspiring, perhaps overly-cautious first 45 minutes at Stadium 974 on Tuesday, Poland were presented with a golden opportunity to snatch all three points against Mexico, as their talisman Lewandowski was wrestled to the ground in the penalty area by Hector Moreno.

World Cup hero Guillermo Ochoa was there to deny the country’s record goalscorer, however, as the Barcelona forward failed to convert from 12 yards for the second time this month.

Racking up just 0.04 expected goals in the first half, and 0.14 throughout the whole game aside from the penalty, Czeslaw Michniewicz’s side will feel that this was a missed opportunity against a side that they would have been expecting to compete with for that second qualification spot, particularly after favourites Argentina dropped unlikely points.

If Poland are to stand any chance of progressing, a victory is vitally important here, and they will have to be on their toes against a high-pressing Saudi Arabia side, who will still be riding the wave of their greatest ever victory.

Salem Al-Dawsari’s spectacular winning goal on Tuesday will go down in World Cup folklore, as the 31-year-old’s sensational curling finish condemned Argentina to their first defeat in 36 outings.

Herve Renard’s side impressed with their bold style of play, incorporating a dangerously high and aggressive line, springing the offside trap an incredible 10 times.

In the middle, Mohamed Kanno played the role of midfield enforcer almost perfectly, while the Hassan Al Tambakti put in a heroic performance in the centre of defence.

With three points already secured, another result here would put them well on their way to a first run to the knockout stages since 1994.

Team News

For Poland, both Krystian Bielik and Bartosz Bereszynski were confirmed to have been carrying knocks since Tuesday by the manager, but both should be fit and available here.

In desperate need of points, there is a chance that we will see extra firepower in the form of Arkadiusz Milik brought in from the start.

As for Saudi Arabia, full-back Yasser Al-Shahrani was reportedly flown home from the World Cup after successful jaw surgery, following a horror collision with his own goalkeeper late on in Tuesday’s famous win.

As a result, we are likely to see Mohammed Al-Burayk in from the start, in an otherwise very familiar side to the one that shocked the footballing world just four days ago.

Poland possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Zalewski, Kiwior, Glik, Bednarek, Cash; Szymanski, Krychowiak, Zielinski; Lewandowski, Milik

Saudi Arabia possible starting lineup:
Al-Owais; Al-Burayk, Al-Boleahi, Al Tambakti, Abdulhamid; Al Malki, Kanno, Al-Abed; Al Dawsari, Al-Shehiri, Al Buraikan

France can seal a place in the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup when they resume Group D duties against Denmark at Stadium 974 on Saturday evening.

Les Bleus thumped Australia 4-1 this week to kick off the defence of their crown in perfect fashion, while Kasper Hjulmand’s men were held to a goalless draw by Tunisia.

Match preview

Two former Arsenal strikers can now proudly boast to sit atop the all-time goalscoring charts for the France men’s team, but Thierry Henry may not be sitting pretty on his perch for much longer following Olivier Giroud’s record-equalling brace versus Australia on Tuesday.

Didier Deschamps’s men had under-performed in the UEFA Nations League over the summer and conceded within the first nine minutes to Craig Goodwin, but Giroud’s 50th and 51st goals for France – alongside headers from Adrien Rabiot and Kylian Mbappe – turned the game on its head.

Taking advantage of Karim Benzema’s absence through injury, Giroud only needs to make the net ripple one more time to overtake Henry and score a record-breaking 52nd goal for his country – one which may very well confirm France’s place in the last 16.

The reigning world champions are sitting pretty at the top of Group D and will be guaranteed a ticket to the knockout rounds with victory, and they could even confirm top spot should they win and Tunisia’s showdown with Australia end in a draw.

Not since Brazil in 2006 had the World Cup holders won their opening game of the tournament, but having banished that curse, France can now endeavour to win six games in a row at a World Cup finals for the first time in their history – the last team to achieve such a feat were the golden generation of Spain in 2010.

While Christian Eriksen – making his first major tournament appearance for Denmark since his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 – was able to demonstrate some of the midfield flair that has made him a hit with the Manchester United fans, the Red and Whites’ opener with Tunisia was otherwise a forgettable affair.

The two sides played out one of a few 0-0 draws to take place in round one, but Tunisia would have felt the most aggrieved not to have come away with all three points, even if they had to survive a late VAR check for a possible penalty on Yassine Meriah’s handball.

Hjulmand has now admitted that his side face a “complicated” situation in Group D, where they currently occupy third place – separated from second-placed Tunisia on fair play points – but they will still be in with a chance of a top-two finish no matter what transpires this weekend.

A slice of history could also be on the line for the Scandinavian nation here, as they have drawn each of their last four World Cup matches and could now become only the second side to play out five successive stalemates on the biggest global stage, but there are a couple of good omens for this Denmark side who have now kept three clean sheets in their last four games.

Indeed, their final match before the World Cup saw them run out 2-0 winners over France in the Nations League – having also claimed a 2-1 victory in June – and they also overcame Les Bleus 2-0 in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup, when France were defending champions.

Team News

France have been plagued by injuries since before Deschamps named his squad, after Deschamps named his squad and now during their World Cup adventure, with left-back Lucas Hernandez tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the build-up to Goodwin’s goal for Australia on Tuesday.

The Bayern Munich man is unsurprisingly out of the rest of the World Cup as he prepares for months of rehabilitation, and he will pass the torch over to brother Theo Hernandez, who put in an impressive shift after replacing his stricken relative.

Deschamps was also without Kingsley Coman in Friday’s training session due to a hip issue, but Raphael Varane was passed fit for a place on the bench against the Socceroos as Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate paired up at the back.

While neither Upamecano nor Konate will feel like they deserve to lose their spots, a fully-fit Varane will surely be considered for a place, and the Liverpool man may be the unfortunate one to drop out.

A similar story to Hernandez’s has befallen Denmark, as Sevilla midfielder Thomas Delaney came off with a knee injury at half time against Tunisia and has also been forced to withdraw from the tournament as he prepares for a month-long recovery period.

Hjulmand otherwise has no fresh concerns for Saturday’s game and should consider dropping Eriksen into a deeper role alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg following Delaney’s injury, allowing either Mikkel Damsgaard or Jesper Lindstrom to join the attack.

Andreas Cornelius produced one of the worst misses in World Cup history after somehow hitting the post from a yard out against Tunisia, and the 29-year-old should only be considered for a substitute role here alongside the injury-plagued Yussuf Poulsen.

France possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Upamecano, T. Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud

Denmark possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Andersen, Christensen, Kjaer; Kristensen, Hojbjerg, Eriksen, Maehle; Skov Olsen, Dolberg, Damsgaard

Australia will be bidding to bounce back from their heavy defeat to France when they continue their World Cup Group D campaign against Tunisia on Saturday.

The Socceroos suffered a 4-1 loss to France in their opening match of the competition on Tuesday, while Tunisia played out a goalless draw with Denmark in their first game of the 2022 tournament.

Match preview

Tunisia are competing in the finals of the World Cup for the sixth time in their history, and they are looking to reach the knockout round of the competition for the first time.

The African nation failed to win a group game during the 1998, 2002 and 2006 competitions but managed to put a victory on the board last time out in Russia, and they have made a positive start to this tournament, holding a talented Denmark outfit to a goalless draw in their section opener.

Tunisia’s last and indeed toughest game in the group will be against France next Wednesday, so their chances of qualifying for the knockout round could largely hinge on their result against Australia.

Jalel Kadri’s side beat Mali in the third qualifying round to advance to the finals of the World Cup, and they have actually not lost a competitive match since January.

Tunisia’s performance against Denmark will certainly have given them plenty of encouragement ahead of this match, which will see them face Australia for just the third time, with their only competitive meeting coming in the Confederations Cup back in June 2005, which saw Tunisia record a 2-0 win.

Australia, as mentioned, will enter this match off the back of a 4-1 defeat to world champions France on Tuesday, which has already left them in a difficult position in Group D.

The Socceroos took the lead against Didier Deschamps’s side in the ninth minute through Craig Goodwin, but France went on to score four times without reply through Adrien Rabiot, Olivier Giroud (two) and Kylian Mbappe, with the result leaving Australia at the bottom of the group.

Graham Arnold’s side beat United Arab Emirates and then Peru on penalties to secure their spot at the 2022 World Cup, and they then overcame New Zealand in two friendlies at the end of September.

Australia have now been present in each of the last five World Cups, being eliminated in the group stage in their last three participations, winning just once in the process.

The national side did manage to reach the round of 16 back in 2006, though, finishing second in Group F behind Brazil before losing 1-0 to Italy in the first knockout round.

Team News

Tunisia have not reported any injury concerns from their competition opener with Denmark, so the bulk of the XI that started that match should again take to the field.

Wahbi Khazri, who is the leading goalscorer in the squad with 24, was not involved in the team’s first game of the tournament, but he is expected to come into the side here.

The 31-year-old could replace Anis Ben Slimane, with Youssef Msakni and Issam Jebali almost certain to retain their spots in the final third of the field.

Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri was a late substitute against Denmark, meanwhile, and the teenager will be hoping to earn more World Cup minutes here.

As for Australia, head coach Arnold is expected to resist the temptation to shuffle his pack following the defeat to France, as there were positives from the clash with the Blues.

The same XI that took to the field for the first whistle on Tuesday should again feature here, with Mitchell Duke leading the line for the Socceroos.

Mathew Leckie is the leading goalscorer in the squad with 13, and the 31-year-old will again play off the right, with Goodwin, who scored against France, also set to retain his spot.

Stoke City’s Harry Souttar, Celtic’s Aaron Mooy and Middlesbrough’s Riley McGree are also in line to start for Australia on Saturday.

Tunisia possible starting lineup:
Dahmen; Bronn, Meriah, Talbi; Drager, Skhiri, Laidouni, Abdi; Khazri, Jebali, Msakni

Australia possible starting lineup:
Ryan; Atkinson, Souttar, Rowles, Behich; Mooy; Leckie, Irvine, McGree, Goodwin; Duke

England’s winless record against the United States at the World Cup stretched to three matches following a goalless draw at Al Bayt Stadium.

Gareth Southgate’s side knew they would become the first side to book their spot in the knockout stages with a victory but were unimpressive, with the USA being the better side throughout.

Christian Pulisic came the closest to deciding the match by striking the crossbar in the first half, while England only tested Matt Turner on a single occasion.

Neither side managed to muster much of a threat in the second period, with both sides forced to settle for a point and having work to do in their final matches on Tuesday.

Opportunities were limited in the early exchanges, Harry Kane seeing an effort deflected wide after fine build-up play from the Three Lions, while Weston McKennie blazed over the bar after finding space in the England box.

The USA put themselves on the front foot as the game progressed, Pulisic coming closest to breaking the deadlock with a fierce drive from outside the area that rattled against the crossbar.

However, England finished the half with their best chance, Mason Mount forcing a diving save from Turner.

The USA continued to be the better side into the second half, though they were unable to create opportunities to truly test Jordan Pickford, with England equally impotent in attack.

The result leaves Group D delicately poised heading into the final round of fixtures, with England’s display a far cry from their prolific showing against Iran.

Qatar became the first team to be eliminated from the World Cup on Friday after Group A rivals the Netherlands and Ecuador drew 1-1.

The Dutch and Ecuador each have four points, Senegal have three.

Qatar are without a point after they lost their opening game 2-0 to Ecuador and then went down 3-1 to Senegal earlier on Friday.

They cannot qualify whatever happens in their final match against the Dutch on Tuesday.