The Equation: Round of 16 qualification within touching distance after Socceroos win

The Socceroos took a large step towards progressing to the Round of 16 in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019™ with a 3-0 win over Palestine on Friday night. 

Jamie Maclaren’s first goal in the Green and Gold, coupled with neatly-taken finishes by Awer Mabil and Apostolos Giannou, put the Socceroos in a favourable position heading into their final Group B fixture against Syria.

Earlier on Thursday night Jordan beat Syria 2-0.

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How things stand

Following the second round of fixtures, the Group B ladder is so:

Jordan - 6 points
Australia - 3 points
Syria - 1 point
Palestine - 1 point

Australia’s win against Palestine put them into second place with one game remaining.

What’s next?

The final round of fixtures in Group B will see Australia play Syria at the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain while Jordan play Palestine. 

Both games will be on Wednesday, January 16 at 12:30am AEDT. 

The top two sides from each group qualify for the Round of 16, with the four-best, third-placed sides also enjoying qualification. 

While a draw will be enough to secure Australia’s passage to the next round, there is no doubt the Socceroos will be solely focussed on grabbing all three points against Syria.

The Socceroos face Syria on Wednesday, January 16 at the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium. Kick-off is at 12:30am AEDT and will be broadcast LIVE on FOX SPORTS 505.