Bahrain vs Australia Prediction: Aussies are struggling

Bahrain will welcome Australia at Bahrain National Stadium in Game Week 6 of the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Aussies are struggling in qualifiers. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Bahrain is participating in the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the aim of making their first-ever appearance at the tournament. They have never qualified before but have narrowly missed out on two occasions. In the second round, Bahrain progressed from Group H in second place with three wins, two draws, and one loss, earning a total of 11 points, six points ahead of Yemen. Despite a strong 1-0 win against Australia in their first match, they suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to Japan in the following game. Bahrain managed to bounce back with consecutive draws against Indonesia and Saudi Arabia but suffered a late 1-0 loss to China in the last fixture, leaving them in fifth place on the table. However, a victory in their upcoming match could propel them into the top two spots, enhancing their chances of qualifying for the World Cup.

Lutfalla; Benaddi, Baqer, Saeed; Emmanuel, Al-Asfoor, Haram, Marhoon; Madan, Adbuljabbar, Al-Aswad

Australia has been struggling in the qualifiers. Despite being expected to secure a top-two finish alongside Japan, Australia is currently tied on six points with China and Saudi Arabia. They lost 1-0 to Bahrain in their first match and have only managed one win and three draws in the subsequent games. Former coach Graham Arnold stepped down after a disappointing start to the qualifiers, with Tony Popovic taking over. Popovic will be looking for a much-improved performance from his team, especially in the attacking department, as they face Bahrain in a crucial match to boost their World Cup qualification hopes.

Gauci; Geria, Souttar, Burgess; Miller, O'Neill, Irvine, Bos; Hrustic, McGree; Duke

Bahrain team will be missing Waleed Al-Hayam for the upcoming match, as he was red-carded in the previous game against China. Sayed Baqer is expected to replace him in the starting lineup. Mohamed Jasim Marhoon has been the only player from Bahrain to score in Group C, with two goals, including one own goal by Harry Souttar. Mitchell Duke will be looking to find the net for Australia in this match, after a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia. The defense for Australia, consisting of Jason Geria, Souttar, and Cameron Burgess, is expected to start again after limiting Saudi Arabia to three shots. 

 Although Bahrain won the previous match against Australia, we predict that Australia will emerge victorious in this game, based on their stronger performance.