Following their victory in the inaugural Women’s Finalissima, England Women will continue preparing for the 2023 World Cup with a friendly against Australia Women.
Team Form
England Women
In the Finalissima, The reigning champions of South America, Brazil, posed a tough challenge for the Lionesses, but after a hard-fought game that ended in a 1-1 draw, England emerged victorious.
The match was intense, and it came down to penalty kicks. Unfortunately, Toone missed her spot kick, but Brazil’s Tamires and Rafaelle Souza could also not convert. In the end, the Lionesses lifted the trophy at Wembley for the second time in just seven months.
The Lionesses are not resting on their laurels, however. They have a friendly match scheduled for Tuesday, where they will be looking to extend their unbeaten run under Sarina Wiegman to an impressive 31 matches.
England Women Form: W W W W WĀ
Australia Women
Before their recent friendly match against Scotland at the Cherry Red Records Stadium in London, Australia enjoyed a remarkable seven-game winning streak.
However, their unbeaten run was ended by a determined Scotland side, who secured a narrow 1-0 victory with a goal from Nicola Docherty.
It wasn’t very pleasant for Australia, as they had been riding high on their recent success. Losing for the first time since September was undoubtedly a setback, but the Matildas are a resilient team, and they will be eager to bounce back.
Australia has an important few months ahead as they prepare to co-host the World Cup. With this prestigious honor on the horizon, every game is an opportunity to build momentum and refine their skills.
Australia Women Form: W W W W L
Squad Report
England Women
Millie Bright and Sandy MacIver have pulled out of the squad ahead of Thursday’s Finalissima match.
Alex Greenwood also appeared to have picked up an injury during the match against Brazil. As a result, she has had to withdraw from the squad too.
Australia Women
Unfortunately, two players, Emily van Egmond and Holly McNamara withdrew from the squad before their friendly match on Tuesday.
England Women’s expected starting lineup:
Earps; Bronze, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, Carter; Stanway, Walsh; Kelly, Toone, Hemp; Russo
Australia Women’s expected starting lineup:
Arnold; Carpenter, Hunt, Polkinghorne, Grant; Gorry, Cooney-Cross; Raso, Fowler, Vine; Kerr
Head to Head
These two sides have faced off against each other four times in total, with each match providing its fair share of excitement and drama.
England has emerged victorious twice in these four encounters, while Australia has won once. One game ended in a draw, which goes to show just how evenly matched these teams are.
Time, Date & Venue
Date: Tuesday, April 11
Time: 06:45 pm, UTC
Venue: Brentford Community Stadium, London
Prediction
Both teams will see this as an important opportunity to test their mettle before the World Cup.
However, given England’s impressive unbeaten run under Sarina Wiegman and the advantage of playing on home turf, they have a slight edge over their opponents.
