And so it comes to this. After 20 matches in a slog of a qualifying campaign, Australia have to navigate two more to book at place at next year’s World Cup finals in Russia.
The Socceroos are the bookies favourites to get the job done, but in a hostile setting in a football mad country they are unfamiliar with, escaping the first leg on levels terms — or better, obviously — would be a huge result ahead of the decider in Sydney next week.
There are a number of absentees and concern over the fitness of Tim Cahill, but still Ange Postecoglou has vowed to stick to his attacking principles.
Follow all the build up and the match itself — kick-off at 9am (AEDT) — on our rolling live blog below:
Originally published as Socceroos start fast but goals elusive
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