Thanks for following along as a host of half-chances and near misses on both sides end with a frustrating stalement between the Socceroos and Saudi Arabia. Next up for Australia is Bahrain on the road. Catch you then, but in the meantime you can dig into the full match report from Joey Lynch in Melbourne: Tony Popovic leaves with mixed reports – Ajdin Hrustic was not taken off at half-time due to injury, which seems surprising as he had arguably been the Socceroos biggest threat through the first half. But on the flip side, Nishan Velupillay’s ankle injury might be more serious than it first appeared. The young Victory attacker will be sent for scans. Socceroos coach Tony Popovic is open and honest as he sums up his side’s performance. “I think when you look at the chances, we had some good opportunities,” Popovic said. “But we have to give our opponent credit, first half we didn’t play very well. We were not very good with the ball. They looked sharp and energetic. And we struggled a little in the first half and improved significantly in the second half which was good. We had good opportunities. Unfortunately we couldn’t take them. “I think if you look at the quality that they have, how athletic and technical their players are, it’s not really a surprise [Saudi Arabia looked to start on the front foot]. I think we took a little long to get into the game. We looked a little heavy and lethargic in the first half but I’m pleased with the response in the second. “We didn’t play well with the ball in the first half but created two very good chances from good pressing moments. Second half we improved with the ball. So overall it’s a point. We move forward. But certainly we can improve.” Riley McGree was very nearly the hero with a bicycle kick on practically the last play of the game. “It’s disappointing that we couldn’t score and we came away with a draw when we wanted to take three points and win,” McGree said. “But I think we need to take the positives from the night. We did create the chances and we had the opportunities to score, and it could have been two, three, four on another night. “It’s consistency. We need to keep making the chances and it’s only a matter of time before they start to fall.” Harry Souttar is up next and while the centre-back is understandably pleased with the clean sheet, the lack of Socceroos goals and a cutting edge are yet again the concern. “Obviously we had a lot of chances, myself included in the first half, I had to score. We had a number of chances,” Souttar said. “We worked on it and we know they like to play and take some risks. And then obviously a couple of chances in the second half. The last 5-10 minutes was a bit manic with the offside goal and the overhead kick. I saw it and I thought it was going in. Just one of frustration and another one to build on. Another point on the board I guess.” Socceroos midfielder Aiden O’Neill is player of the match but concedes that his heart was in his mouth when Saudi Arabia appeared to have claimed the three points deep into stoppage time. “To be honest I was a little bit worried,” O’Neill said. “I haven’t seen it but obviously they made the right decision with VAR.” But even the chaotic ending can’t hide the frustrations that Australia will feel after failing to take their chances. “We will look back on the game and improve on bits and pieces. The biggest thing is putting the ball in the back of the net,” O’Neill added. Full-time: Australia 0-0 Saudi Arabia The action heats up at the death but after a couple of near misses in the dying stages both sides will have to settle for a point in a stalemate. The Socceroos had their chances through the second half in particular but as we have seen too often in recent times, the lack of lethal finishers meant putting the ball into the back of the net proved easier said than done. Saudi Arabia thought they had scored a 93rd-minute winner with a thunderbolt from Sultan Al Ghannam but the goal was ruled out for offside. Riley McGree missed with a bicycle kick just two minutes later as the frustration was cemented for both sides. Australia will be sweating on the fitness of Ajdin Hrustic, who was forced off at half-time with a leg injury, while his replacement Nishan Velupillay also had to be subbed out after rolling an ankle in the 74th minute. Anthony Caceres then stepped out for a Socceroos debut at the age of 32. The result leaves the Socceroos sitting second in their qualification group on six points, the same as Saudi Arabia, though Bahrain are only one point behind the pair and have a game to come against China tomorrow. 96 mins: Riley McGree almost scores! The midfielder flies with a bicycle kick but it trickles just wide of the post. 94 mins: Saudi Arabia have the ball in the back of the net and wheel away to celebrate snatching the game at the death, but before they can reach their bench and returning coach a flag is waved for offside. Australia clear from a cross but Sultan Al Ghannam picks up the ball on the edge of the box and tries his luck. A rocket sneaks through a mass of players without taking a deflection before the last Saudi attacker standing not too far from Gauci makes a movement that has been adjudged to be offside. The closest of calls for the home side. 93 mins: Al Hamddan wins a free kick in a dangerous position as he bursts past Lewis Miller then is taken down by Jason Geria with a sliding tackle. Geria takes the yellow card. 90 mins: Cam Burgess digs a cross out from about the same spot inside the six-yard box that he scored an own goal against Japan. The Socceroos survive their biggest scare of the night but Abdullah Al Hamddan’s pace is causing all sorts of concerns since his introduction. 88 mins: Saudi Arabia bring on a pair of defenders with a valuable point now within reach. Sultan Alganham and Awn Mutlaq Alslaluli come on for Faisal Al-Ghamdi and Marwan Alsahafi. 86 mins: Another chance for Borrello as Aziz Behich, who replaced Jordy Bos a few minutes ago, reaches high to knock a volley back into the box. Borrello comes surging on to the cross but it is blocked. The tension is rising around the stands, time to see if the Socceroos can lift with it. 83 mins: The Socceroos fluff their lines again! Brandon Borrello breaks through the high line and goes streaming towards goal but as he approaches the Saudi keeper the 29-year-old lays the ball off to Riley McGree just a few metres away but under defensive pressure. The pass goes a little behind McGree and his shot is blocked. Not sure if that would’ve been called offside on review, but Australia still had to do better with their finishing. 80 mins: Both sides are running out of time to snatch the three points yet little has been created over the past 10 minutes or more. 77 mins: The 27, 491 in attendance make up the second biggest crowd to watch the Socceroos at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. 76 mins: Australia have probably edged the second half so far but are still to find the crucial breakthrough. Lewis Miller goes down easily to pick up a clever free kick for Australia but when Abdullah Al Khaibari does similar shortly after the Socceroos are frustrated by the time it takes for the midfielder to get back to his feet. Hopefully that isn’t the first sign that the Saudis are shutting up with a point in their grasp. 73 mins: Anthony Caceres makes his Socceroos debut – unbelievably it’s his first game at any level for Australia – as Mitch Duke is subbed out. A memorable moment has been a long time coming for the 32-year-old. 71 mins: Velupillay re-enters the fray but only lasts a minute or so around before taking a seat in the middle of the pitch and waving to the bench. The Melbourne Victory attacker’s home crowd applaud as he hobbles to the sidelines as Brandon Borrello prepares to replace him. 68 mins: Nishan Velupillay makes a scything run into the box and almost finds a clear path through three Saudi defenders until losing his footing and control of the ball. There were legs flying everywhere but it wasn’t obvious that any in the Green Falcons’ white socks brought the young Socceroo down. Velupillay takes time to get to his feet while clutching at his ankle, and has to be helped from the field. 65 mins: A chance for Duke! But again it is blocked. Jordy Bos makes an explosive run down the left but sends his cross too long. As the Socceroos gather, Nishan Velupillay cuts back to Mitch Duke and the bustling striker gets the ball out from under his feet but can’t find a way around the Saudi defender. Riley McGree picks up the Socceroos’ first yellow for a late tackle in the resulting scramble. 63 mins: Ali Al-Bulayhi picks up the second yellow of the game after bringing down Aiden O’Neill picking up pace on a run through the middle of the pitch. 60 mins: Lewis Miller is brought to ground on the centre wing and looks considerably displeased. The free kick leads to a chance for Riley McGree inside the box but it’s another block. McGree is the most likely to have a pivotal impact at the moment. 57 mins: Saudi Arabia bring on fresh legs as Australia start to take a hold of the midfield. Abdullah Alhamddan and Abdullah Alkhaibary enter the contest in place of Saleh Al Shehri and Musab Aljuwayr. 54 mins: The Saudis look to go over the top with a pair of chip kicks but the long leg of Harry Souttar clears the first with the outside of his right boot and the second attempt only just dribbles out for a goal kick. That might just be a warning of what’s to come from the Green Falcons. 51 mins: The Socceroos are using their left side more in the early moments of the second half, as Jordy Bos has room to run into space but mis-fires with the cross. The young left-winger has impressed as a threat in his more recent opportunities with the national team but has been less of a weapon so far tonight. 48 mins: Australia start the second half more brightly than they did the first and Riley McGree has time to open up on a shot from narrowly inside the penalty box but once again it is blocked. 45 mins: Saudi Arabia kick off to begin the second half. The Green Falcons line up as they started the evening. We’re about to get back under way with Ajdin Hrustic replaced by Nishan Velupillay for the home side. The luckless Socceroo grabbed at his upper leg when brought down right on the cusp of half-time. Saudi Arabia enjoyed the bulk of possession through the opening 45 minutes, 60-40%, but the Socceroos created more opportunities with 6 (1 on target) to 2 (1) shots. Half-time: Australia 0-0 Saudi Arabia Australia end the half having had the better chances even after yet another sluggish start. Irvine, Hrustic and Souttar each had an opportunity to open the scoring without being able to nail their chance, but the standout moment of the first 45 minutes was the decision to not only overturn a penalty decision against Saudi keeper Ahmed Alkassar, but the follow-up call to show him yellow rather than red. 52 mins: Oh my, Jackson Irvine blasts over the bar when a pass might have opened up the goal! The Australia skipper steals the ball on the edge of the box, finds space with a neat one-two with Duke, but then takes the shot himself despite Hrustic streaming past. 49 mins: Joe Gauci with a pair of fabulous saves. Marwan Al Sahafi breaks the high line and is through on goal with only the keeper to beat but the Australian gloveman times his dive perfectly to tap the ball away. The Saudi attacker collects as the Socceroos defence closes in but his second shot is and blocked by Gauci. The flag goes up for an early offside, but the keeper wasn’t to know that. 45 mins: Perhaps the best chance of the half goes begging as Ajdin Hrustic scuffs a left-footed shot from the edge of the box. This time it’s the Saudi defence that unravels under pressure from a high press, as Hrustic finds space to receive a pass with the keeper off his line but can’t make the most of the opportunity. 43 mins: Australia persist with playing out from the back but almost come unstuck as Harry Souttar bobbles a pass to Riley McGree on the edge of the box. A moment of panic but the Socceroos are able to clear. 41 mins: Lewis Miller is getting forward more now and might have benefited from a foul near the corner flag but a curious decision goes the other way. 38 mins: Australia have settled now and are finding time and space down their right side, after the Saudis had started with most of their early attacks coming from the same half of the pitch. 35 mins: Ajdin Hrustic looks the most likely to find a way through the Saudi defence, the playmaker getting on the ball more in midfield and working the angles inside the box. Hrustic has a sight on goal from inside the box but the shot is blocked. Australia have once again taken their time to get the creative juices flowing, but there are signs they are finally here. 32 mins: Finally an extended period in the Socceroos forward half. A cross from the left sails well beyond the far post but when it is knocked back Harry Souttar has half a chance to open the scoring, until mis-timing his header. Neat touches around the box almost unlock another opportunity but the Saudis stand firm in a deep block. 29 mins: Australia push into their attacking half for the first time with any real conviction since the penalty shout, as Jordy Bos rockets a cross into the box from the left side. The ball drops into a gap but the Socceroos’ forwards can’t pounce quickly enough and the Saudi defence is able to clear. 27 mins: Nasser Al Dawsari has the first shot on goal after he finds space inside the box until pushed further out to the left as Lewis Miller closes in. The Saudi midfielder blasts away with his left boot from a tight angle but Joe Gauci covers the near post and knocks away for a corner. 24 mins: A long ball over the top puts Australian hearts in mouths as Marwan Al Sahafi runs clear but Joe Gauci is quickly off the mark to close down the danger and collect the ball. The Saudis’ speed of foot, as much as their pace on the ball, is testing the home side. 21 mins: Saudi Arabia look more comfortable on the ball so far as they again move up the field with ease. Australia struggling to maintain possession as that lengthy delay seems to have taken a bit of sting out of the game. 18 mins: Hrustic finally gets the game back underway as he crosses in the free kick. The Saudi keeper blocks it early but fails to clear, there is a scramble in the box but Harry Souttar skies a half volley over the crossbar. 16 mins: Penalty overturned! Yellow card is awarded and Tony Popovic in incensed. He has reason to be as there was no one behind the Saudi gloveman when contact was made with Duke, and the ball looked within reach if not for the collision. But it’s a let off for the Green Falcons. 14 mins: The question is whether contact was inside or outside the box. Replays suggest it was the latter and the penalty will surely be overturned, but that raises the question of whether Ahmed Alkassar is about to see red. 12 mins: Penalty to Australia! The first decent stoppage in the game as Marwan Al Sahafi gets caught under Jason Geria and takes some time to get back to his feet. A long ball from Cam Burgess at the restart unlocks the Saudi defence and Mitch Duke is through on goal. The keeper Ahmed Alkassar comes out tries to clear the ball with his head, but contact with Duke brings down the Australia striker. 9 mins: Saudi Arabia have a good period of control in their attacking half with some brisk ball movement. A cross into the box is the most threatening until a glancing header from Geria clears the danger. 6 mins: A Saudi handball just outside the penalty box gives Ajdin Hrustic the first true chance of the game, but after a long pause he can only slam the ball into the wall. A big build up to that free kick, but in the end it was a poor strike. 3 mins: Saudi Arabia win the first corner after Jason Geria is forced to bail out his side as the last man. The Socceroos clear away but that was an early warning that they won’t have it all their own way this evening. 1 min: Peep peep! The Socceroos kick off and look to make a fast start, straight into some forward momentum. The sold out crowd are in full voice, there is plenty of atmosphere matching the high stakes at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. The national anthems are complete, the players are in situ and we’re about to get underway… Saudi Arabia present a familiar opponent, who had the better of the Socceroos in qualifying for the previous World Cup under French coach Hervé Renard. Much has changed since then, and Jack Snape was there as Australia’s coach Tony Popovic backed his side to play with restored confidence. “We feel it’s in our hands here at our home stadium and our crowd, the players look calm and confident, and I want to see that in their performance,” Popovic said. John Duerden looked at Roberto Mancini’s exit as Saudi Arabia head coach last month – before Hervé Renard was reappointed in the role and a glow returned to the Green Falcons. Mancini walks away from Saudi Arabia considerably richer than when he arrived 14 months earlier, but few would say that the national team is any better off. Phil Withall is next up with a reminder that the spotlight has been turned onto the football in Melbourne, rather than the cricket in Brisbane (though we also have live blog running for the T20), with bad weather settling in. “It’s a stormy old night up here in Queensland. Intermittent power outages, intense lightning and thunder so loud that AC/DC would feel intimidated. I’m hoping to be able to watch the match, accompanied by the magnificent MBM … Either way a home win is paramount but I see this being a lot closer than some anticipate.” Rob Haigh is the first to get in touch with not so much a prediction as a plan of attack for the Socceroos. “A big 6 pointer today, some stabilising experience back in the squad, and a vociferous crowd behind them, the 12th man for Oz … make it a desert for the opposition, not an oasis please” Hervé Renard is back in charge of Saudi Arabia with the hope that he can again sprinkle around his magic dust that tends to lift spirits and get a playing group to rise above their supposed level. More on the second coming of the Frenchman and the Green Falcons, from yours truly: Saudi Arabia XI Green Falcons: Ahmed Alkassar, Ali Al Bulayhi, Saud Abdulhamid, Yasir Gharsan S Alshahrani (capt), Hassan Al Tambakti, Nasser Al Dawsari, Marwan Al Sahafi, Musab Aljuwayr, Faisal Alghamdi, Feras Albrikan, Saleh Al Shehri Hervé Renard swings the changes in his first match back in charge of Saudi Arabia since taking them to the 2022 World Cup. Australia XI Socceroos: Joe Gauci, Lewis Miller, Jason Geria, Harry Souttar, Cam Burgess, Jordy Bos, Jackson Irvine (capt), Aiden O’Neill, Ajdin Hrustic, Riley McGree, Mitch Duke Just the one change from the starting lineup that drew 1-1 in Japan last month, as Aiden O’Neill replaces Luke Brattan in the central midfield. Jackson Irvine again takes the captain’s armband with Joe Gauci preferred over Mat Ryan in goal. The Socceroos will be without the suspended Craig Goodwin and have not included teen sensation Nestory Irankunda in the squad to face Saudi Arabia tonight and Bahrain next week, as coach Tony Popovic continues to introduce fresh blood (hello Max Balard) and bring A-League stalwarts in from the cold (welcome back Rhyan Grant and Anthony Caceres). Irankunda’s omission supposedly wasn’t about his Socceroos performance so far, but instead about allowing him time to settle in Germany while trying to break into the first team at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. We know he’s a young man with a lot of potential who finds himself at one of the biggest clubs in the world,” Popovic said last week. “We just feel it’s an opportunity for him to settle in at Bayern, get the development that he needs there and the growth and just settle into a new culture, new country, new language. Preamble Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2026 World Cup qualifier between Australia and Saudi Arabia at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (also known to some as AAMI Park). This is the third World Cup qualification campaign in a row that the familiar foes have faced each other at this point and once again the stakes are sky high. The Socceroos and Green Falcons have edged in front of up to five teams competing for what looks likely to be just one remaining automatic qualification spot, and are currently separated in second and third place in their group only by goal difference. After a horror start to the third round, the Socceroos have handed the reins to Tony Popovic and then taken tentative steps towards turning around their form with a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over China followed by a backs-to-the-wall 1-1 draw in Japan. The four points taken from that window were enough to lift Australia to second place in group C, equal on five points with this evening’s opponents as well as Bahrain, though they are all five points behind runaway leaders Japan. While the Green Falcons are equal on points with the Socceroos they are perhaps a few strides further back in their hopes of a revival after ending Roberto Mancini’s 14-month reign just three weeks ago. Hervé Renard is back in charge after leading the side to the 2022 World Cup, where they stunned eventual champions Argentina before exiting at the group stage, and was coach when Saudi Arabia frustrated the Socceroos with a 0-0 stalemate in Parramatta in 2021. The Frenchman returned to the same shores when coach of his home nation’s women’s team at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, where they were knocked out in a last-eight shootout against the Matildas. All that sets the scene for a cagey battle where the winner will end the evening sitting in the critical second spot in the group at the halfway mark of the third round. Kick-off is at 8.10pm AEDT. I’ll be back shortly with the line-ups and team news. Remember to get in touch with any comments, questions, thoughts and predictions. You can shoot me an email, or find me on X @martinpegan and Bluesky @martinpegan.bsky.social. Let’s get into it!