Karen Bardsley: The key battles that could decide Australia v England

Cast your caput backmost to April's affable betwixt England and Australia.

I wouldn't beryllium amazed if notes of that 2-0 loss are shared earlier Wednesday's Women's World Cup semi-final, which sees the 2 teams pitted against each different erstwhile again.

England played successful a 4-3-3 enactment and Euro 2022 skipper Leah Williamson led from the backmost successful that defeat. But midfielder Keira Walsh was fundamentally marked retired of the game.

Things person changed since then.

The Lionesses are playing with a backmost 3 now, Williamson is sidelined with injury, the phenomenal Lauren James is serving a two-match ban, and Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo person go a frightening attacking duo.

Things person changed for the Australians too.

Now the pome of the nation's eye, the Matildas person embraced the unit of being co-hosts connected the world's biggest footballing stage. Trust me, aft watching Australia bushed the Republic of Ireland and Denmark, the sound the fans make is highly loud.

So successful feverish anticipation of Wednesday's semi-final, I thought I'd research the cardinal battles wherever the crippled could beryllium won and lost...

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Sam Kerr v Millie Bright

(From near to right) Mary Fowler, Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley each took penalties successful the shootout triumph implicit France

These 2 colossal footballing talents bid against each different week successful and week retired for Chelsea. It's just to accidental it volition beryllium a fascinating conflict of springiness and take.

After a rusty commencement successful the 1-0 triumph against Haiti, Millie Bright has deed phenomenal form. Shifting from a backmost 4 to a backmost 3 has surely played to her strengths.

Bright's aerial dominance, decisive defending, brave blocking, and no-nonsense quality to commencement attacks makes her much than susceptible of combatting the menace of arguably the world's champion striker, Sam Kerr.

Kerr volition undoubtedly effort to play a crippled of feline and rodent with England's backmost three. In the blink of an eye, she is susceptible of unbalancing defenders with her athleticism, uncovering abstraction and causing chaos. And let's not place her instinctive quality to clinically decorativeness disconnected chances.

Without a doubt, Kerr volition seamlessly bring young Australian starlet Mary Fowler into play.

An exceptionally skilful subordinate with superb method quality and balance, the 20-year-old Manchester City subordinate loves to endanger centrally and is perfectly blessed creating overloads successful wide areas. The Lionesses' defence has performed admirably, but this volition beryllium their biggest trial yet.

The conflict for midfield

Barcelona's Walsh pulls the strings successful England's midfield. End of story.

Critical to England's build-up play successful possession, and antiaircraft organisation and stableness retired of possession, Walsh finds abstraction and breaks lines amended than astir immoderate midfielder successful the game.

Her quality and consciousness allows her to manipulate opponents and dictate tempo, adjacent erstwhile she doesn't person the ball.

Speaking of tempo, Georgia Stanway is an unyielding unit successful the midfield. Commonly described arsenic a container to container midfielder, she reads the crippled good and tin alteration the result successful an instant.

The Bayern Munich subordinate takes conscionable arsenic overmuch pridefulness successful cracking challenges arsenic she does successful hitting belters from region oregon delivering beautifully weighted, defence-splitting passes.

England's midfield duo person matured into their roles nether Weigman and complement each other's earthy tendencies well. But they'll person their enactment chopped retired for them against Australia.

The industrious Australian midfield pairing of Kyra Cooney-Cross and Katrina Gorry person developed a beardown concern that has improved implicit the people of the tournament.

Gorry, who plays for Swedish nine Vittsjo GIK, is an experienced, competitory subordinate who is not acrophobic to enactment herself astir the pitch. The 30-year-old is blessed to nexus up play but is prone to losing possession successful cardinal areas.

Hammarby midfielder Cooney-Cross, 21, an aggressive, tenacious player, covers ample distances erstwhile she presses and is keen to get guardant to commencement speedy attacks for the likes of Kerr, Fowler and Emily van Egmond.

Both players airs threats and volition surely beryllium disruptive to England's build-up play. But England person proven they're an adaptable squad and Weigman volition guarantee the squad are good prepared.

Lucy Bronze v Steph Catley

England's Lucy Bronze dealt good with Colombia teen Linda Caicedo successful the quarter-final victory

Off the backmost of Lucy Bronze's champion show successful this tourney frankincense acold in the 2-1 triumph implicit Colombia, she volition person the unenviable task of managing Australia's formidable near broadside (although I cognize this is conscionable the happening she lives for).

I ideate the Barcelona subordinate volition beryllium battling with Arsenal's Steph Catley much often than not, however, the right-back's relation demands that she helps Jess Carter negociate Caitlin Foord.

Foord, different Arsenal player, is an breathtaking attacker who loves one-on-ones and lives for large moments, perpetually overlapping Catley.

Catley, an athletic, disciplined, no-nonsense defender, efficiently goes astir her business. She volition chiefly beryllium liable for keeping Bronze, 31, distant from England's attack.

But Bronze thinks connected her feet. Always connected the lookout for ways to get 1 implicit connected an opponent, she perpetually solves problems and creates opportunities for team-mates.

Both England and Australia are keen to enactment attacking play wherever imaginable truthful we mightiness spot some wide threats nullified. But for entertainment's sake, let's anticipation not excessively much.

I deliberation this crippled volition yet travel down to who is astir effectual successful transition, and each of those cardinal battles volition beryllium imperative to controlling those transitions.

Former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was talking to BBC Sport's Emma Sanders.