Australia secured a place in the World Cup knockout stages for only the second time by beating (and eliminating) a Denmark side many had tipped to be a dark horse in Qatar.
Veteran Melbourne City winger Matthew Leckie scored the only goal of the game that was enough to keep Australia second in Group D behind France.
Trailing Australia by two points at kick-off, the onus was on Denmark to attack and set out their stall in an attacking 4-1-4-1 formation. Australia, meanwhile, were just hoping to see it through.
The best early chances went the way of the Danes. A well-worked team move presented Andreas Skov Olsen with an opportunity in the centre of the box that was expertly blocked by Aussie full-back Milos Degenek. Moments later, Mat Ryan parried behind a fierce effort from Mathias Jensen.
Denmark’s interplay through midfield was generally impressive and a better connection from Olsen on the run might have given Ryan more of a problem.
Australia did pose a threat midway through the first half with a long ball forward that Mitchell Duke nodded into the path of Riley McGree. The Middlesbrough man hit the target with a speculative half volley but it was straight at Kasper Schmeichel. A weak Jackson Irvine header was also easily saved.
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Graham Arnold’s Socceroos began to compete on a more even footing with better energy towards the final stage of the first half. Arnold then switched things up at half-time to gave Duke a bit more support up top and it almost paid dividends immediately when a cross found Jackson Irvine in a good position. But the ball came at Irvine so fast he was unable to control the first-time shot.
Australia’s breakthrough, which came momentarily after Tunisia had scored a goal that threatened to put them out in the group’s other game, was a rapid counter attack from back to front in seconds.
When a Danish move broke down at the edge of the box, the ball went out to McGree, who played it into the space in front of a sprinting Leckie. He turned Joakim Maehle inside out before firing a low left footed shot through the defender’s legs back across goal into the corner.
Denmark thought they had a penalty when referee Mustapha Ghorbal pointed to the spot when substitute Kasper Dolberg went down…
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