Mathew Leckie’s fantastic solo finish earned Australia a spot in the World Cup round of 16 for the first time since 2006 after defeating Denmark 1-0.
Denmark came into this match knowing that they needed a win regardless of what occurred in the other Group D match between Tunisia and France, and Kasper Hjulmand’s men started on the front foot.
Despite pinning Australia back in their own third, the Danes were unable to truly test Matt Ryan, with their final ball lacking much quality.
Their best chance came in the 19th minute when Ryan was forced to make a stop with his feet after Harry Souttar almost scored an own goal from a Joakim Maehle cross.
In the second half, both teams looked quite lethargic with the ball. It wasn’t until the news that Tunisia had scored against France made its way through that Australia finally started to look better in attack, and it only took a few minutes for Leckie to counter, twist away from Maehle, and get the ball past Kasper Schmeichel at the far post.
Denmark looked shell-shocked while the celebrations took part, and the team had little success in getting past the Australian backline after conceding.
They wanted a penalty in the second half when Kasper Dolberg was brought down in the box, but he was just offside before the challenge, and the Danes failed to threaten much after that.
In the dying minutes of added time, they had two corners but failed to test Ryan. The first sailed right into the hands of the Australian keeper, while the second was headed over the bar from close range by Andreas Cornelius.
Australia will next face the winners from Group C, which contains Argentina, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Mexico.
TALKING POINT: AUSTRALIA INTO THE LAST 16
They were certainly not at their best today, but Australia were tenacious, and did not cower despite the huge pressure they faced going into this match. They weathered the storm that was the first half after Denmark seemed to have chance after chance, and once they heard that Tunisia had scored, it was like a switch went off: they scored the goal that they needed and defended until the dying moments.
Leckie’s goal, which sent Australia into the knockout rounds of the World Cup for just the second time in their history, will live long in the memory of the fans, who can now look forward to an exciting yet tough test on Saturday.
As for Denmark, they limp out of this tournament bottom of the group and disappoint those who marked them as dark horses. It’s night and day between the Denmark team that impressed at last year’s Euros, and Kasper Hjulmand (if he stays) will have to take a long look at how he can refresh this squad that seems completely void of any ideas.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: HARRY SOUTTAR
It’s hard to pick just one Australian player that deserves recognition since the win truly was a team performance, but Harry Souttar certainly made a case for himself.
The Stoke City centre-back did well to limit Denmark when they had the ball and was an overall rock ahead of Ryan. With nine clearances, two interceptions, one blocked shot, and one tackle, it’s hard to imagine that Australia could have managed a clean sheet without him. He may not be a flashy forward, but Souttar is an immense presence at the heart of this Australian defence, who is adored by fans, made obvious by the ‘Souttar for Ballon d’Or’ sign that was waved proudly by a spectator after full-time. The centre-back has certainly proved what an asset he is across all the group-stage matches, and he’s a player that certainly deserves his flowers ahead of the next round.
PLAYER RATINGS
AUSTRALIA: Ryan 7, Degenek 7, Souttar 7, Rowles 7, Behich 7, Leckie 7, Irvine 6, Mooy 6, Goodwin 7, Duke 7, McGree 7…. Subs: Wright 7, Maclaren 7, Hrustic 7, Baccus 7.
DENMARK: Schmeichel 6, Kristensen 6, Andersen 6, Christensen 6, Maehle 5, Hojbjerg 6, Jensen 6, Skov Olsen 6, Eriksen 6, Lindstrom 5, Braithwaite 5…. Subs: Dolberg 5, Damsgaard 5, Cornelius 5, Skov 6, Bah 6.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
42′ – DENMARK POOR FINAL BALL: After great one-two, Lindstrom attempts a curving pass for Braithwaite, but it’s right at Ryan. Denmark have had so many half-chances, but they’ve failed to actually test Ryan properly.
60′ – GOAL! AUSTRALIA 1-0 DENMARK: Australia on the counter have taken the lead against Denmark, and that is a crucial goal after the one Tunisia just scored! It is a wonderful solo goal from Leckie after he sent Maehle the wrong way twice before nutmegging him and scoring into the bottom corner.
71′ – ANOTHER TWIST: Denmark think they have a penalty as the ref points to the spot, but it is not given as Dolberg was offside in the build-up. VAR have checked, and the elbow to the face is shown to come AFTER the offside.
73′ – DENMARK CHANCE: Skov finds Cornelius with a good cross, but the striker’s header is off-target. He is penalised for a foul on Rowles, but he HAS to get that on target. Sums up the Danish striker problems.
94′ – AWFUL CORNER: Denmark have a late chance here, and Eriksen takes the corner, as Schmeichel goes up. The ball, however, goes straight into the hands of Ryan.
