Midfielder Massimo Luongo is forecasting an early assault as the Socceroos attempt to unlock a stodgy Saudi Arabia in Thursday's vital World Cup qualifier.
Luongo believes the Saudis, who hold a three-point buffer from the Socceroos in group standings, may play for a draw in the Adelaide Oval fixture.
"A goal early would ruin their game plan and they'll be forced to come out and try and score, and that will help us," Luongo told reporters on Sunday.
The Saudis are equal on points with leaders Japan with three group games remaining.
The top two secure spots for next year's World Cup in Russia while the third-placed nation is pitched into playoff rounds.
Both Australia and Saudi Arabia also play Japan in the remaining rounds, meaning Thursday night's match is crucial to direct passage to Russia.
Luongo said the group standings would "probably" lead to the Saudis adopting time-wasting tactics in Adelaide.
"To be fair, in the previous games the refs have been quite good at handling all that," he said.
"But we're going to get all that, or they are going to try and interrupt our momentum and flow.
"A draw might be good enough [for the Saudis] but if we get a goal, or when we get a goal, it's just going to unlock them.
"They they'll need to come out and play ... so I think that will benefit us even more.
"And we have practised against teams sitting off and trying to cause us not to score or to disrupt us and we have done pretty well so far."
Luongo arrived in Adelaide content with his output for Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship, but mindful of his challenge to seal a midfield spot in the Socceroos' starting line-up.
"We have got loads of depth in there, it causes [coach] Ange [Postecoglou] a problem but it's not the worst problem in the world to have," he said.
"It adds that bit of competition in training and it pushes everyone a little bit more.
"I know that I have got to be on the top of my game in training otherwise I know these other boys will grasp it."