Australia v Saudi Arabia: World Cup 2022 qualifier – live!

43 min Needless to say there will be a few minutes of stoppage-time added to this half. I have an updated report that the VAR actually took close to five minutes to make that decision.

Here is a closer look at it:

40 mins This is patience on display here as Saudi build from the back and Firas Al-Buraikan threatens in the box. Possession is turned over and oh! The Socceroos might be onto something here! A defence-splitting pass releases Boyle at the halfway line and it was never in doubt. Terrible defending from the home side, but there is question around whether he was offside at the point of that initial pass.

The VAR is taking a while, suggesting this might be one of those bee’s dick offside calls. They are splitting pixels in the cave and it has now been almost four minutes. The crowd are getting restless. The coaches are getting frustrated. Boyle is laighing and high-fiving an opponent. But he will not be awarded his sixth international goal.

32 min Australia have five shots, none on target, and one-third of possession, which sums up this half quite well so far in a way stats do not always. Saudi are content and comfortable to let their visitors play. Fornaroli is down under a challenge but dust himself off.

28 min Ajdin Hrustic, who was so good against Japan last week, has a free kick. It lofts up beautifully and is heading towards the top-left corner, but lands on the roof. Mabil opens up another channel, this time from left to right in the centre of the park and Boyle is onto it. Yet again an Australian attack ends with a shot which rolls marginally wide of the back post.

24 min Genreau darts down the left flank, an audacious move from his (slightly defensive) midfield role. Australia have been decent going forward. They are creating. They are not finishing, but the foundations are there to get something out of this game. They just need to tighten up around the midfield.

The Saudi coach, Hervé Renard, is offering his players some unorthodox gesticulations from his technical area.

20 min Atkinson does not have the easiest debut on his hands. The pace is a step up but not only that he is facing the likes of Al-Dawsari with Al-Shahrani. This pair love an overlap.

Hrustic is released by Mat Ryan, and before you can blink Boyle is in the box and Fornaroli alert to the action, anticipating the next move. The next move does not eventuate.

17 mins Thus far the Saudis are still retaining possession and suffocating Australia. Al-Faraj is doing his best work with the least room. Boyle, meanwhile, is on a mazy run which, in the end, amounts to nothing.

13 min ALMOST goal. And it is the first real contribution from Atkinson, who opens up the field nicely. Boyle shows off with a cute backheel and a ball across the face of goal is very nearly converted by Awer Mabil but he does not quite have a handle on it.

10 min Hrustic finds Mabil and Behich is charging forward but the ball is out of play off a Saudi defender. Their two central defenders – Hassan Tambakti and Abdullah Madu – played no part at all in their last match.

Salman Al-Faraj, the captain of both this team and Al-Hilal, looks to make moves but is dealt with by Sainsbury.

5 min Saudi Arabia have all the early possession as they string passes together and drive forward. Australia clean up a bit here though the passes are not being completed at this point. A Martin Boyle long ball is cleaned up by Mohammed Al-Owais.

Here is how the teams line up. A couple of changes for Australia with Bruno Fornaroli making his first start for his new country and right-back Nathaniel Atkinson his overall debut. The latter has enjoyed an impressive few years with Melbourne City and recently joined Hearts.

Rhyan Grant and Joel King step out Denis Genreau has his second cap alongside James Jeggo and Gianni Stensness, who played in midfield against, drops back to the centre of defence.