UAE to move to within one step of Qatar WC
The United Arab Emirates and Australia will duke it out for the right to play Peru in the intercontinental play-off final to determine the 31st nation to make it to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar in five months' time. Both countries finished third in their Asian pools and their game on Tuesday evening takes place at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan, which will be host to six of the games at the tournament. Read our preview here:
Shoot, Mabkhout!
Eyal Zayed have only been to one World Cup before - Italia '90, where they lost all of their games fairly heavily. Much has changed since and, with more places being given both now and in 2026 when the number of teams expands to 48 to the Asian confederation, they have a distinct chance of making their second appearance in the near future. All of the players ply their trades domestically, giving Argentinian head coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena more scope to select his squad without undertaking lengthy scouting missions. He should line up his charges in a 4-3-3, as seen in the 1-1 friendly draw with Gambia last week. The emphasis will be on supplying Al Jazira hotshot Ali Mabkhout with the ammunition to hurt the Socceroos - the 31 year old striker has an incredible 80 goals in 104 caps for his country.
Hrustic algorithm
Boss Graham Arnold is not popular amongst supporters, having taken over after the previous World Cup in which they only claimed a single point from three group games. They have badly struggled since, letting top spot slip from their grasp in qualification, allowing both Japan and Saudi Arabia to grab the automatic spots. A 2-1 win over Jordan does represent decent preparation for this encounter, having also come in Qatar. Tom Rogic will be absent in midfield, meaning Aaron Mooy and Kenny Dougall will operate at its base. Ajdin Hrustic, who won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt, will play in the hole behind Jamie Maclaren.
Betting tip
On paper, Australia have the more recognisable names and a greater propensity to grind out wins when they really matter, though their recent trials and tribulations, coming as they do without a reliable goalscorer in the national setup, do conspire to make the encounter likely a tight one. This could favour the UAE if they can hit their opponents on the break and keep things level into the second half. bet365 have odds of 3.00 for them to qualify for the play-off against Peru.
