France vs Australia October 11, 2013

Australia's head coach Holger Osieck may be sacked if his side fail to produce a decent performance against France in Paris on Friday.

Coming into the friendly on the back of a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Brazil in September, the German is under intense pressure despite having helped Socceroos qualify for next year's World Cup.

It's been over a decade since France and Australia met on the pitch, but on Friday night in Paris, the two countries will renew their football rivalry in an international friendly.

Australia has already secured their place in the 2014 World Cup field, but friendlies with France and Canada will close out the year for manager Holger Osieck's squad. Socceroos have won two of their last three, but are fresh off a 6-0 thrashing handed out by Brazil on Sept. 7.

France has two draws and a win over Belarus in their last three matches, but also lost to Brazil earlier this summer and likely face the reality of a playoff lottery to determine their World Cup fate. Les Bleus are currently second in Group I of their European qualifying table with 14 points. 

We'll prepare you for this impending international friendly below.

France vs Australia October 11, 2013


That huge defeat, combined with Australia's failure at the East Asian Cup and an inability to regenerate an ageing squad, have put Osieck in the firing line, with reports suggesting that the Football Federation Australia (FFA) have already begun sounding out potential replacements.

Another heavy defeat could therefore signal the end for Osieck. Indeed, while the Socceroos may be coming up against one of the world's best teams for the second outing in a row, they must avoid embarrassment this time around.

In terms of team news, Brett Holman (quadriceps) and Tom Rogic (groin) have been withdrawn from the squad due to injury.

Osieck may decide to give opportunities to fresher faces against France,  or leave the experimentation until Tuesday's clash with Canada in London.

Veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has been left out of the squad and that opens up a position for either Mat Ryan (Club Brugge) or Mitch Langerak (Borussia Dortmund).

Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough), Jason Davidson (Heracles) should get game time, as should Dario Vidosic (Sion) and possibly the likes of Oliver Bozanic (Luzern), Jackson Irvine (Kilmarnock) and Mathew Leckie (Frankfurt).

When: Friday, Oct. 11, at 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. BST)

Where: Parc des Princes, Paris, France

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