World Cup 2022: What to expect on Day 11

World Cup 2022: What to expect on Day 11

Tuesday was the start of the separation of the last-16 wheat from the chaff of teams whose journeys end at the group stage.

That theme continues today as Group C and D come to the boil. By the time the clock ticks 9pm tonight, there is a possibility that Lionel Messi and Argentina could bow out of the tournament after meeting Robert Lewandowski's Poland, while a Denmark team viewed as dark horses will be hoping to emerge from Group D alongside France in the 3pm kick-offs with a must-win against a battling Australia side.

There was little expectation about Australia when the tournament kicked off such was the perceived quality of a squad generally bereft of players from Europe's top five leagues.

And yet, thanks to a win over Tunisia following the heavy opening 4-1 defeat to France, they have played themselves into a position where they could become just the second Socceroos outfit to reach the knockout stages of a men's World Cup.

Avoid defeat to Denmark this afternoon whilst hoping Tunisia don't beat France and Australia will make it into the last-16.

The only time they achieved that feat was during the time of the golden generation which saw Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill and co come agonisingly close to reaching the 2006 quarter-finals but for a Francesco Totti penalty from a somewhat dubious officiating call in their last-16 encounter against eventual champions Italy.

Australia manager Graham Arnold was part of Guus Hiddink's backroom team 16 years ago and hopes that past achievement serves as a pointer for the current squad.

"They were 10 years of age watching those guys do what they did in 2006. And those guys were their inspiration," he said.

"That's the whole purpose ...