Mitch Duke and Harry Souttar star as Australia beat Tunisia

PLAYER RATINGS: Mitch Duke and Harry Souttar star as Australia beat Tunisia to keep their World Cup campaign alive… as Graham Arnold silences the doubters by getting all the big calls right

  • REPORT: Australia beat Tunisia 1-0 to seal first World Cup win in 12 years 
  • Socceroos keep their World Cup campaign alive after losing to France
  • Mitchell Duke scored the only goal of the game as Harry Souttar starred
  • Australia may need only a draw to progress if Denmark fail to beat France
  • Click here for all your latest international sports news at Daily Mail Australia 
  • Click here for the latest World Cup 2022 news, fixtures, live action and results

Mitchell Duke scored the only goal of the game as Australia beat Tunisia to seal a first World Cup win in 12 years.

The result temporarily vaults the Socceroos up to second in Group D and keeps their hopes of reaching the knockout stages for the first time since 2006 alive.  

Along with the match-winner, Harry Souttar and Aaron Mooy starred for Australia, with the Socceroos controlling the game from the off and managing it brilliantly after going ahead. 

Australia won their first World Cup game in 12 years with a 1-0 win over Tunisia 

Graham Arnold’s men will face Denmark in their final group game on Wednesday and may only need a draw to go through, if the Danes fail to beat France later today.

Here, Daily Mail Australia takes a look who starred and who flopped for the Socceroos.

Australia

Mat Ryan – 6.5

Not afraid to come off his line to claim a number of dangerous crosses, he was mostly a spectator in the first half. Pulled off two crucial save in the second half. 

Aziz Behich – 6.5

A much easier day at the office after being given the runaround by Ousmane Dembele against France. Worked hard and got stuck into every challenge.

Kye Rowles – 6.5

Cool and collected for most of the game, but almost undid all his hard work with a calamitous mistake in the second half that could have proved costly. 

Harry Souttar – 8.5 

The Man of the Match and by some distance. A towering figure, the Stoke City defender dealt with every cross Tunisia put into the box and slid in with two vital blocks late on to deny the north Africans. An enormous performance. 

Harry Souttar was the best player on the pitch, repeatedly denying Tunisia in the second half

Fran Karacic – 6

Replaced Nathaniel Atkinson at right-back and was solid defensively, but added little going forward.

Jackson Irvine – 6.5

A typical tireless performance, as he nullified Ellyes Skhiri. Ran himself into the ground but Australia will need him fit and firing against Denmark 

Aaron Mooy – 7.5

Australia’s most important player in the middle of the park. Pulled the strings throughout the game, expertly changing the tempo of the game and opened up Tunisia’s midfield at will.  

Aaron Mooy was by far Australia’s most influential player in the middle of the park

Riley McGree – 5.5

Plenty of effort with some crunching tackles, but little quality in possession.

Craig Goodwin – 7

A constant nuisance for Tunisia’s defence, found space down the left wing time and again. A goalscorer against France, he turned provider for Mitchell Duke’s goal. 

Mitchell Duke – 8

Scored the only goal of the game as Australia won the first World Cup game in 12 years to keep their hopes of qualification alive and worked tirelessly throughout. Whatever happens against Denmark, he will never forget today. 

Mitchell Duke scored the only goal of the game as Australia beat Tunisia on Saturday  

Mat Leckie – 6.5

Went through a mountain of work and was inches away from scoring Australia’s second. A crucial player for Graham Arnold.

SUBS

Ajdin Hrustic – 6

A surprise omission from the starting line-up, made his World Cup debut and looked fully recovered after a serious injury.

Jamie Maclaren – 6.5

Made a significant impact off the bench, stretching Tunisia’s defence and would have had an assist had Leckie converted his cross. 

Jamie Maclaren came close to providing the assist for what would have been Australia’s second goal but Mat Leckie couldn’t convert the chance 

Milos Degenek – 6

Solid as he replaced Karacic with 15 minutes left. 

Awer Mabil – 5.5 

Had the chance to seal the game with a counterattack late on, but squandered the chance.  

Keanu Baccus – 6

Came on to provide fresh legs at a crucial stage and did just that. 

Graham Arnold – 8

Graham Arnold got all of his calls spot on as Australia kept their World Cup campaign alive

Spoke of the need to fight fire with fire ahead of the game and executed the plan to perfection. 

The Socceroos controlled the game from the start and never let Tunisia back in it after Duke’s goal, displaying the kind of game management that Arnold desperately craved.

Got all his substitutions spot on and is 90 minutes from becoming only the second Socceroos coach to reach the knockout stage of a World Cup. 

Tunisia: Dahmen 6, Talbi 6, Meriah 5, Bronn 5, Abdi 5, Laïdouni 5.5, Skhiri 5, Dräger 5.5, Msakni 6, Jebali 5, Sliti 5. Subs: Sassi 5.5, Khazri 6, Kechrida 5, Khenissi 6 




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