Aussies brace for Eriksen and Co
Defeat to France in their Group C opener has left Socceroos on the ropes
Captain Mile Jedinak says Australia cannot afford to focus solely on dangerman Christian Eriksen when they face Denmark looking for the win that could save their World Cup campaign.
A gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat to France in their Group C opener has left the Socceroos needing a win today as they seek to qualify from the group stages.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eriksen, who scored 11 of Denmark’s goals in qualifying, is the key threat for Age Hareide’s
side at the Samara Arena.
But Jedinak, who scored from the penalty spot against France, says improving on a disciplined performance — which saw Antoine Griezmann hit a VAR-assisted penalty before an Aziz Behich own goal in the dying minutes — is also key for Australia. “We know he [Eriksen] is a fantastic player and obviously he’s got a huge role to play for them.
“But we’re not trying to focus on that. We’ll definitely focus on them as whole and as a collective.”
A solid defensive display against France won Australia plaudits but Bert van Marwijk’s men are on the ropes.
And with the psychological advantage of a 1-0 win over Peru from their opening game, in which goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel produced a string of fine saves to deny the South Americans, the Danes can afford to be more flexible. ■