- Australia defeated China 2:0 in front of 70,000 fans in Changzhou
- The Socceroos now have a three-point cushion over third-placed Saudi Arabia
- Japan have already secured qualification with two matches to spare
Key Takeaways:
Australia claimed a 2:0 away win over China, settling even more comfortably into second place in Group C of the World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region. Before today’s match, the gap between the Socceroos and third-placed Saudi Arabia was just one point, but it is now three, as the Saudis drew 0:0 away to Japan, who has already secured its place at the 2026 World Cup.
A record of 70,588 people attended the China-Australia match on Tuesday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, the highest attendance for a football match held in China. pic.twitter.com/NFA1KywVz1
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) March 25, 2025
In front of just over 70,000 fans in the city of Changzhou, the visitors did their job within a 15-minute spell in the first half. Jackson Irvine scored a beautiful goal in the 16th minute to make it 1:0, and in the 29th minute, Nishan Velupillay netted a second. That second goal seemed to kill off the the hopes of the Chinese players, who had entered the match highly motivated.
Japan lead the group with 20 points from 24 possible, followed by Australia with 13 and Saudi Arabia with 10. The top two teams qualify for next year’s World Cup, with Australia set to host Japan and visit Saudi Arabia in their final two matches.
Elsewhere, South Korea and Jordan drew 1:1 in a clash between the top two in Group B, further tightening the situation. The Koreans lead with 16 points, followed by Jordan on 13. However, Jordan could drop to third if Iraq (currently on 12 points) win their away game against Palestine later today.