Socceroos hold on to hopes of deep Asian Cup run despite familiar concerns

Australia will hope to benefit from their backs-to-the-wall mentality as the stakes rise at the Asian Cup in Qatar. Photograph: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

There is a sense of déjà vu about where Australia are at right now and, perhaps more pressingly, where they might be heading after reaching the knockout stages at the Asian Cup in Qatar.

On a base level, the most important step is that two wins and a draw have ensured the Socceroos’ progression to the round of 16 as group B winners, where they will meet Indonesia. It is a contest they will be expected to win and maintain their record of reaching at least the quarter-finals of every Asian Cup they have competed in.