World Cup Qualifying Playoff: Australia vs Peru Preview
World Cup Spot on the Line
Peru Favored in Playoff vs Australia
Australia or Peru will book their ticket to the World Cup on Monday in the inter-confederation playoff. In this Australia vs Peru matchup, a rematch of the 2018 World Cup group stage, Peru is -135 favorites to win. La Blanquirroja is one win away from making consecutive World Cups for the first time in 40 years.
Australia vs Peru
Date, time:
Location: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al-Rayyan, Qatar
Head-to-Head
All Meetings:
- Jun 2018: Australia 0-2 Peru
Australia vs Peru is a fixture that has only been played once, at the 2018 World Cup. The match finished 2-0 to Peru with goals from André Carrillo and Paolo Guerrero. The win was Peru’s first in the World Cup for 40 years and ended an eight-game World Cup winless run. All time, Australia is 8-24-11 vs CONMEBOL teams with a -40 goal difference.
Australia No Stranger to Playoffs
- Last Match: 2-1 win vs UAE (WCQ)
Australia punched their ticket to the intercontinental playoff by defeating UAE 2-1 in World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday. Jackson Irvine opened up the scoring for the Socceroos in the second half but UAE pulled one back minutes later. With minutes to play, Ajdin Hrustic hit a sweet half volley that deflected off of a UAE defender and into the net.
The Socceroos have qualified for the World Cup the last two times they’ve contested an intercontinental playoff, most recently in 2017. A Mile Jedinak hat trick in the second leg vs Honduras secured qualification to Russia 2018. Australia also defeated Uruguay in penalties to qualify for Germany in 2006.
One thing that could help Australia is the fact that they’re playing Peru in the same stadium they faced UAE in. Setting up shop in Qatar for another six days could help with acclimation to the climate, although the stadium is air-conditioned.
Players like goalkeeper Mat Ryan, midfielder Aaron Mooy, and forward Matthew Leckie have all played at the World Cup before. Australia is experienced and has proven to be resilient in the face of adversity, *missing key defender Harry Souttar.
Peru: Winners of Six of the Last Nine
- Last Match: 1-0 win vs New Zealand (Friendly)
Peru is just one win away from the Qatar World Cup 2022 after finishing fifth in CONMEBOL qualifying. La Blanquirroja hasn’t made two consecutive World Cups since 1982 but are favorites to return. Peru finished CONMEBOL qualifiers with a negative goal differential but won four of their last six to finish fifth.
La Blanquirroja’s last competitive match was back in March, a 2-0 win over Paraguay that sealed fifth over Colombia. Gianluca Lapadula scored the opener and he was also on target in Peru’s 1-0 friendly win vs New Zealand last Sunday. The Italian-born Lapadula is a relatively new addition to the national team, but he’s proven to be their biggest goalscoring threat.
Like Australia, Peru is an experienced team and there are a lot of holdovers from the 2018 World Cup team. Peru are especially talented in midfield, with players like Renato Tapia, Yoshimar Yotún, and Christian Cueva.
What to Watch For
Australia didn’t always look like the better team vs UAE but they found a way to come out on top. If the Socceroos fail to qualify, it’d be the first time they miss the World Cup in 20 years. They’re priced at +395 odds to win and are winless in each of their last five matches with CONMEBOL teams.
Peru won just three of their nine away matches in CONMEBOL Qualifying, and while this is on neutral ground, it’s certainly a concerning sign. Bettors are responding by taking Peru under 1½, now listed at -140. Peru has found the net in eight of their last nine matches and has scored two or more goals four times in that span.
Australia’s over/under team total is just ½, with the Socceroos expected to find the net at -150. However, Australia scored just one goal in four matches vs the teams that finished above them in AFC Group B. Over 2 for the match total is also priced at -150.
A draw is sitting at +250 betting odds and there will be 30 minutes of extra time and potentially penalties in the event of one. Unlike the two-legged playoffs from years past, Australia vs Peru is a high-stakes single-leg match to determine who gets a spot at Qatar 2022.
Follow us on Twitter
