DHAKA: Bangladesh is facing the 2015 Asian Cup winners Australia, who are seeking to reach their fourth successive FIFA showcase event, in Perth of Australia on Thursday.

The match kicked off at NIB Stadium in Perth at 5:00 pm Bangladesh time.

The Socceroos scored four goals against Bangladesh inside 30 minutes in the first half.

Mat Leckie opened the scoring inside six minutes at nib Stadium, before Tom Rogic scored his maiden international goal two minutes later.

The midfielder added another before Nathan Burns netted a fourth to have the Socceroos in cruise control at half-time.

As far as the Socceroos are concerned, it is only a matter of time before they qualify for the upcoming edition of the World Cup, which will be their fourth consecutive appearance in the global showpiece event.

The men in red and green, in contrast, are vying for a berth in the 2019 Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates as opposed to the World Cup.

The game was expected to be a relatively routine affair for Australia, ranked 61st in the world, against the Bengal Tigers, ranked 170th.

The hosts’ task became somewhat harder when a series of withdrawals through injury struck the squad.

The Socceroos entered the game without their main goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, defender Ivan Franjic, captain Mile Jedinak and forwards Robbie Kruse and Tomi Juric, while Trent Sainsbury and James Troisi were overlooked due to a lack of match sharpness.

Despite losing so many likely starters, Australia, boosted by the inclusion of fit-again pair Massimo Luongo and Tom Rogic, could justifiably remain confident.

Bangladesh have only managed one win, a 1-0 friendly victory at home to Sri Lanka, in their last 12 games, a run stretching back to August 2013.

BDST:  1145/1800 HRS, SEP 03, 2015
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