Australia vs China: World Cup qualifier match preview, probable lineups and live streaming
Australia endured a miserable September camp and are languishing at the fifth spot in Group C, having collected only one point from two games, with only China behind them, yet to open their account.
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FollowTwo sides looking to secure their first win of the third round of AFC 2026 World Cup qualification, Australia and China, will be up against each other at Adelaide Oval on Thursday. The Socceroos endured a miserable September camp and are languishing at the fifth spot in Group C, having collected only one point from two games, with only Dragon Team behind them, yet to open their account.
Australia started their third round of qualifiers with a surprise 1-0 home-defeat against Bahrain on September 5. Five days later, the Socceroos suffered yet another set back as they were held to a goalless draw away to Group C minnows Indonesia in Jakarta. Following a disappointing September camp, long-serving head coach Graham Arnold handed his resignation, and Tony Popovic is now in charge of the 2015 AFC Cup winners.
Australia reached this far courtesy of topping their group in the previous round. The Socceroos won all six games to collect a maximum of 18 points, ten clear of the chasing pack.
China, on the other hand, suffered a humiliating 7-0 defeat away to Japan in their opening match of the third round qualification last month. Dragon Team then gave a good account of themselves against Saudi Arabia in the second match, taking the lead through Ali Lajami's early own goal. But the Falcons fought back and won the match 2-1 thanks to Hasan Kadesh's brace. The Al-Itihad defender scored the winner in the 90th-minute.
Probable Lineups
Australia probable starting lineup: Ryan, Miller, Souttar, Burgess, Behich, Silvera, Irvine, Baccus, Goodwin, Nabil, Taggart
China probable starting lineup: Wang, Gao, Browning, Zhu, Li Abduwell, Li Jian, Xie, Conceicao, wu
Australia vs China schedule and fixture
The 2026 World Cup qualifier between between Australia and China will take place at Adelaide Oval on Thursday at 2:40 PM IST.
Australia vs China live streaming details
Football fans in India can live stream the game through Fan Code. Meanwhile, those in Australia can watch the match on 10 Play, Paramount + and 10, and people in China can tune to iQiyi.
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