This is just the third meeting between Tunisia and Australia in all competitions – Australia won 3-0 in a friendly in October 1997, before Tunisia won 2-0 at the 2005 Confederations Cup.
Australia are facing African opposition at the Fifa World Cup for just the second time (18th match overall) – they drew 1-1 with Ghana in 2010 in the other.
Against Denmark last time out, Tunisia kept just their second clean sheet in their 16 World Cup games -both of their shutouts have been in goalless draws (also against Germany in 1978).
Australia have lost six of their last seven World Cup matches (D1), conceding 18 goals in this spell. They could lose both of their first two games of a World Cup campaign for a third time, having also done so in 1974 and 2014.
Tunisia have avoided defeat in consecutive World Cup matches for the first time (W1 D1). However, they've lost four of their five group-stage games played on MD2, with the exception being a 1-1 draw with Belgium in 2002.
Australia have kept just one clean sheet in 17 World Cup matches; no side to play 10+ matches at the tournament have a lower such ratio (6 per cent, level with Saudi Arabia).
Tunisia had 13 shots against Denmark in their opening game, more than twice as many as they managed against England on MD1 in the 2018 World Cup (6). However, just one of their 13 attempts was on target.
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Against France on MD1, Australia attempted just four shots, their joint-lowest ever total in a World Cup game, alongside also having four against Spain in 2014.
No Tunisia player created more chances (2), had more shots (3) or completed more dribbles (3) in their opening game against Denmark than Youssef Msakni.
Mat Ryan and Mathew Leckie could both make their eighth World Cup starts for Australia, which would set a new record for the nation at the finals. Indeed, only Mark Bresciano (9 games, 6 starts) and Tim Cahill (9 games, 7 starts) have made more World Cup appearances for the Socceroos than Ryan and Leckie (both 7).