09:30 pm: Well done Peru, the most entertaining team in an otherwise dour Group C. That’s it from us for this game. And the matches we have all been waiting for will be up next. Let the Group D madness begin!

FULL-TIME: A huge roar goes up in the stadium as Peru have the win they so craved on their return to the World Cup!

94th minute: Peru keeping the ball well here, giving a chance for their fans to belt out some OLEs!

In Moscow, it’s all over: A match that has been called the most boring in history by some on Twitter (exaggeratedly of course) has ended 0-0.

90th minute: A Peru corner after Australia lose the ball in midfield again. Australian players are on their knees. They have given it their all, both teams have, really. And their campaigns are about to draw to a close. FOUR MINS ADDED ON.

84th minute: Leckie breaks through in the penalty are but is unable to convert a gilt-edged chance. The Aussie striker has toiled but has just not been lucky. Peru waste a counter-attack opportunity and Australia come pouring forward again and win their 8th corner of the game.. which is cleared away.

83rd minute: Azani shows why he’s a highly rated talent but doing well to win a free-kick at a central position with some nimble footwork. Jedinak sizes this up... gets it over the wall but it won’t come down on time.

79th minute: LOUD CHEERS in Sochi as the man who opened the scoring, Carrillo, comes off, taking it all in. He’ll receive a hero’s welcome back home, surely.

77th minute: Australia still trying their best to find a goal. Meanwhile, the Peru fans are having the time of their lives in the stands! Songs being belted out in full voice. They are heading home soon and will be missed at Russia 2018.

74th minute: Peru get a lucky corner after a poor clearance by Risdon, they threaten to get close with a good cross from the right but Australia clear and advance ahead.

72nd minute: Oh, BEHIC! He’s released down the left and his first time volleyed-cross is ahead of Cahill who was open few yards away from goal.

70th minute: Cahill wins another header that sets up Leckie to have a go but a Peruvian defender sneaks in and clears. He won that header off a nothing cross, really.

64th minute: Oh, the Peru fans break into a chrous of “RUSS-IA, RUSS-IA” in apparent thanks to being good hosts.

Another substitution and that gives us time for some house-keeping to do regarding this Aus-Peru game.

Arzani, the youngest player at this World Cup, came on as a sub and has already been booked.
Peru forced into a change with Tapia limping off and replaced by Hurtado.
Rogic booked too, just like Arzani, for stopping a Peru counterattack.

08:50 pm: Just in case you were wondering what’s going on in the other game...

Live updates of Denmark and France is HERE

58th minute: Cahill already making a nuisance of himself in the Peru box as Socceroos have back-to-back corners that the South Americans just about to manage to clear. The second one saw Cahill swivel and send a shot on goal which was blocked away. That was heading in!

55th minute: The freekick is at the wall and the corner is scrambled clear by Peru.

Juric is withdrawn and his Australian highness, Socceroo legend Timmy Cahill gets to make his (likely) World Cup appearance. Remember, he helped Australia reach the inter-continental play-offs by scoring 2 goals against Syria.

54th minute: Well well well. A free kick from a great position down the right flank with Cahill in the fray – one of the best headers of the ball the game has seen. Instant impact incoming?

Guerrero celebrates : A goal that the Peru captain will remember for a long, long time. Cueva with a dribble down the left, as the ball falls to Guerrero, who twists and turns and finishes it.

Jedinak with a header on target from corner.

Tim Cahill is ready to come on for Australia, as a roar goes up.

50th minute: GOALLLL PERU! PAOLO GUERRERO! HE HAS SCORED! The man who dominated the headlines before the tournament, might get to dominate the headline after a World Cup match for the right reasons after all.

48th minute: Cahill-time soon! Australia should fancy their chances from setpieces should their talisman come on. Peru meanwhile have started the half well.

46th minute: Kickoff! Australia HAVE to win to stand a chance. Will we see Tim Cahill soon?

Change for PERU: AQUINO REPLACES YOTUN (who had been booked earlier)

HALF-TIME STATS: While Australia’s 6 attempts have yield 1 shot on goal, Peru have been more efficient with 2 of their 3 efforts finding the target.

Half-time in Moscow too: Is Denmark-France going to be the first 0-0 of the World Cup? That’s a bet that would be worth taking a punt on right now. Live updates of Denmark and France is HERE.

Half-time, Australia trail 1-0: PERU lead in a World Cup match for the first time in 40 years! The goal came against the run of play as Australia were dominating possession. It was a lovely goal by Carrillo though, a sweetly-hit volley.

45+1’: A corner in the stoppage time (one minute of it) and it’s worked short by Peru – cleared by Australia. That should be it for the half.

44th minute: Yotun gives the ball away in the midfield and in frustration goes sliding on an Australian player. First yellow of the night for Peru.

39th minute: Risdon does well down the left flank to evade a few challenges but is eventually fouled. Free kick is wasted.

Meanwhile, the other game has been called ‘incomparably dull’ by our staff. Live updates of Denmark and France is HERE in case you want to follow that one on text.

38th minute: Peru with perhaps their first good spell of possession (but hey they have the lead) – a different approach to this game by the South Americans. They know Australia need the win and are just letting them come on to them before using their pace on the counter. Smart football.

Here’s a look at that lovely Peru goal.

34th minute: GREAT DEFENDING PERU! Kruse with a good run down the left flank again and gets close to the byline before cutting the ball back. Leckie is waiting in the middle to sweep that home when the Peru defenders swoop in and clear the ball away.

After 30 minutes Australia 0-1 Peru: Meanwhile it’s 0-0 between France and Denmark, where both teams are a bit cagey. As things stand, France and Denmark go through as 1 and 2 from this group.

Live updates of Denmark and France is HERE

27th minute: ROGIC GOES CLOSE! Australia need goals. Need a fair few of them one thinks. Rogic with some good work at the edge of the box, manages to get a few inches of pace, gets a snapshot away but Gallese saves well. Corner is cleared away.

25th minute: For all Australia’s possession, Peru have had two shots on target. The latest a simple enough catch for Ryan at Australia’s goal.

Peru fans have also been some of the most passionate in Russia. Many have sold property, belongings to make it to Russia. And look what that goal means to them. Australia trail 0-1.

Screengrab: Sony Network

After 21 minutes Australia 0-1 Peru: 13152 days they have had to wait between World Cup goals and the Peru fans are absolutely thrilled! A moment to cherish. Their journey to the World Cup has been one heck of a story and they deserve to celebrate. And what a goal too. Guerrero chips the ball over from the left flank to the far side where Carrillo trains his eyes on a volley and connects it sweetly.

18th minute: GOALLLLLL PERU!!! CARRILLO! THEY HAVE HUFFED AND PUFFED AT RUSSIA 2018... and they have finally found the back of the net. Lovely goal too, a brilliant volley hit low by Carrillo!

17th minute: An absolutely nailed-on corner not given for Peru. That was a bit bizarre.

After 16 minutes Australia 0-0 Peru: The Aussie strategy is clear. Chip the ball in behind the centre-backs to stretch the play and hope that their forwards can hold it up long enough for support to arrive. They again try to push up down the left flank, a good chipped cross by the left back ricochets off Leckie and goes for a goal kick.

But they should be wary that Peru’s pace could prove to be a problem on the counter.

Socceroos shading the possession numbers so far.

12th minute: More good possession for Australia, just outside the Peru penalty area. The South Americans staying disciplined, as Australia can’t get a shot away.

After 10 minutes Australia 0-0 Peru: Yellow card for Jedinak for a high boot in midfield. The captain will walk a tightrope for the rest of the game.

Surprisingly, Ausralia have dominated possession in the opening stages. One would have thought Peru might do most of the attacking, with the Socceroos staying tight. But hey, a must-win game calls for a different approach.

7th minute: Australia once again push forward down the right, Juric – the only change to Australia’s lineup up top – tries to cut it back from a tight angle, the GK parries it away.

5th minute: A lovely through ball down the right flank for Leckie, who does well to keep it in play at the byline and after sorting his feet out, tries to chip a ball in. Falls to Jedinak outside the box and the shot is high and wide.

2nd minute: Australia on the front foot, moving the ball well to start things off. La Blanquirroja, as the Peru team are known, have been a bright spot in this World Cup without anything to show for it so far. Their fans are in good voice.

1st minute: KICKOFF! This one is a tough game for the neutrals. A very likeable Australia team versus a very likeable Peru team.

07:25 pm: It has not been the greatest few days for Australian sport, with the cricket team being whitewashed 5-0 by England in the ODI series. Can the Socceroos pull off something special tonight?

07:21 pm: Alright the teams are now walking out. Australia and Peru in Sochi. Denmark and France in Moscow. Time for national anthems.

Live updates of Denmark and France HERE.

07:10 pm: This is significant news if you are an Australia fan. We hope Deschamps knows a defeat in the game against Denmark today means France will finish second in the group. Because he has rung in the changes! SIX CHANGES from the Peru game. Do you think that’s sensible? Denmark would be licking their lips. This is not great news for Socceroos.

Catch the live updates of Denmark and France HERE

07:04 pm: Peru have lost two of two, but have been attractive going forward. La Blanquirroja start with captain Paolo Guerrero up front. Mile Jedinak has scored Australia’s 2 goals through spot-kicks and captains the Socceroos.

07:00 pm: Some interesting reading for you as we wait for this match to start.

How a historic 31-0 win resulted in frustration and changed Australian football forever

When the Socceroos defeated American Samoa 31-0 in a World Cup qualifier in 2001, the freak result not only rewrote the record books but also helped change the course of Australian football.

The lop-sided scoreline, still football’s biggest win at senior international level, was greeted with frustration rather than jubilation in Australian footballing circles.

It renewed Australia’s determination to shift from the Oceania Football Confederation to the stronger Asian grouping, offering the chance of direct qualification to the World Cup.

The match itself, played before a crowd of 2,500 in Coffs Harbour, had the air of a ritual slaughter well before kick-off.

Read more here.

06:55 pm: This is how things stand in Group C. Australia need to win against a Peru side that has been mighty impressive so far without scoring a goal or getting a point. Tough one this for neutrals.

06:40 pm: Lineups are in.

Hello and welcome to the live updates of the Group C match between Australia and Peru. Australia’s long-suffering fans are bracing for another World Cup anti-climax on Tuesday when the Socceroos face a Peru side desperate for a victory that may send their opponents home.

Pipped 2-1 in the final minutes by France and left agonising over their failure to win a thrilling 1-1 draw against Denmark, Australia face the South Americans for the first time knowing even a win could end their hopes of remaining in Russia.

Coach Bert van Marwijk led his native Netherlands to the 2010 final, where the Dutch were undone by Andres Iniesta’s extra-time winner for Spain.

So far in Russia, the 65-year-old has been both encouraged and frustrated by a side showing marked improvements defensively but little progress in the creative play that leads to goals. “Scoring,” said Van Marwijk when asked prior to their crunch Group C match against Denmark what Australia lacked most. “We have to play and create more chances.”

Failure to beat the Danes in a match that did have bright spots such as exciting teenage striker Daniel Arzani coming off the bench and forcing a great stop from Denmark ‘keeper Kasper Schmeichel sorely dented their hopes of reaching the last 16 for the first time since 2006.

(With inputs from AFP)