The midfielder of the Peruvian team Renato Tapia admitted on Wednesday that Australia will be a “very tough” rival in a playoff match for a place in the Qatar-2022 World Cup that they will hold on Monday in Doha.
“Australia is a very physical rival, very tough and we saw it yesterday (Wednesday)” in the match in which they defeated the United Arab Emirates 2-1 for the pass to the playoff with Peru, said Tapia after the training of the Inca team in Barcelona .
“They have very good players, with a lot of desire. It’s going to be a very difficult match, we’re all psyched up that it’s going to be like this”, indicated the Celta de Vigo midfielder at a press conference. “We will analyze over time the best way to counter their weapons.”
Peru and Australia have only played each other once, in the first round of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, a match that ended with a 2-0 victory for the South Americans.
“I think that in all the qualifying rounds we have not felt like favorites on any date. Even playing with those who are not in the World Cup today. We have never felt like favorites in anything and I think that is one of our virtues,” said Tapia.
Peru will travel to Doha on Friday to face Australia on Monday at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
The winner of this match will be added to Group D of the World Cup, where France, Denmark and Tunisia are waiting.
