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The Socceroos have built on their historic Asian Cup triumph by holding world champions Germany to a thrilling 2-2 draw in Kaiserslautern.
An understrength Australia looked on course for a huge upset in Wednesday’s (Thursday AEDT) international friendly after captain Mile Jedinak put them ahead 2-1 with a stunning 50th-minute free kick.
But substitute Lukas Podolski struck against a tiring Australian defence in the 81st minute to spare the home side’s blushes at a packed Walter Fritz Stadium.
Asian Cup hero James Troisi scored for the second successive match, pulling Australia back level just before halftime after Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus had opened the scoring in the 17th minute.
Ange Postecoglou’s side could have been several goals ahead had they been sharper in front of goal, with Mathew Leckie and Nathan Burns causing Joachim Loew’s side plenty of headaches in attack.
Already missing first team regulars Tim Cahill and Matthew Spiranovic, Postecoglou was also missing Massimo Luongo (groin) and Trent Sainsbury (knee).
The coach handed a surprise international debut to 25-year-old Brisbane Roar defender Luke DeVere, who partnered Alex Wilkinson in central defence, while Matt McKay was preferred to Tommy Oar in midfield.
Germany fielded a typically-powerful line-up but, with an eye on next week’s Euro 2016 qualifier in Georgia, left big guns including Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller and Toni Kroos on the bench.
Despite having less than two days to prepare in Germany, Postecoglou had promised his depleted side wouldn’t play it safe and so it proved as Australia took the game to the world champions early.
With Leckie’s pace causing problems to Germany’s back three and McKay and Mark Milligan pulling the strings in midfield, Australia had the best early chances and should have scored first.
Leckie wasted a great one-on-one opportunity in the ninth minute before Burns missed a free header from a superb McKay cross five minutes later.
Germany, persisting with a new formation, looked vulnerable in the defence but the Socceroos were equally shaky at times.
The nervy DeVere and Jedinak coughed up possession on several occasions, while Ivan Franjic was under heavy pressure at right back and it was down the left side the Germans made the opening breakthrough.
Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira glided through a gap and found Reus, who finished with a glancing shot that gave Mat Ryan no chance.
The goal didn’t force the Socceroos into a shell, with Jedinak forcing a great save out of Ron-Robert Zieler with a speculative long-range effort.
Australia got the goal their first-half performance deserved five minutes before the break.
Troisi, who netted the winner in the Asian Cup final against South Korea, latched on to a Burns cross with a fine header to beat Zieler.
The game continued in end-to-end fashion after the break and the Socceroos took a surprise lead through their skipper.
Troisi was fouled on the edge of the penalty box and Jedinak, from an awkward angle, brilliantly curled his free kick past Zieler on the near post.
Germany started to mount heavy pressure on the Australian goal, with Ryan forced into several great stops and Wilkinson producing some brilliant scrambling defence.
Oar, Aaron Mooy, Wright, Oliver Bozanic and Tomi Juric all came off the bench as Germany finished the stronger side, salvaging a draw when substitutes Andrew Schurrle and Podolski combined for the equaliser against some lacklustre defending.
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