Celtic midfielder Aaron Mooy and his Australia side secured a brilliant victory over Denmark this afternoon, advancing to the knockout stages of the World Cup.
The Socceroos went into Wednesday’s game knowing that they needed a result in the final Group D fixture to reach the next stage.
Graham Arnold’s side bounced back from defeat against France in the opening game, to take home two victories over Tunisia and Denmark in their next two outings.
Celtic midfielder Aaron Mooy has started in the centre of the pitch for all three group games, playing a crucial role at the base of the Aussie side.
At one stage in today’s game, although Australia were holding Denmark to a draw, Tunisia looked to create an upset by taking a one-goal lead against France.
If results stayed the same it would see Mooy and his teammates exit the competition only on goal difference, which would have been a heartbreaking end to a brilliant campaign.
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However, moments after Tunisia’s strike in the other game, the Socceroos took the lead with Matthew Leckie scoring a huge goal to give his side the lead.
Despite facing heavy pressure in the dying moments, Australia held on to secure victory and their place in the knockout stages of the World Cup, advancing from a difficult group.
Once again, Mooy played a pivotal role in the midfield, distributing possession well and was a calm presence, which was much-needed in such a high-pressure fixture.
The Celtic man also picked off some dangerous possession from the Danish opposition, showcasing his intelligence in the midfield.
Mooy played his part defensively for his side, making two tackles (winning 100% of the tackles he attempted), as well as four clearances, an interception, and recovering the ball ten times [FotMob/Opta].
This is a performance that Mooy and all his international teammates can be proud of, after picking up six points from the nine available in this group.
Both France and Denmark were favourites to advance from Group D, and Tunisia showcased their quality during the fixtures.
However, it was Australia who secured qualification into the next round of the prestigious tournament, and they will now face top spot in Group C with Poland, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia still battling it out for that position.
He joins Celtic teammate Cameron Carter-Vickers, who also made it to the knockout round, after defeating Iran on Tuesday evening.
A huge congratulations to Mooy, his teammates and all the supporters of the Australian national team. They have certainly done their country proud.
Now, the focus will switch to their knockout game on Sunday!
In other news, Celtic announce transport boost for supporters.