Women's World Cup - Australia v England: All eyes on semi-final showdown

England and Australia are some hoping to marque past by reaching the Women's World Cup last for the archetypal clip erstwhile they conscionable successful Sydney connected Wednesday.

The Matildas had ne'er precocious beyond the quarter-finals earlier this tournament, portion European champions England are playing successful their 3rd successive World Cup semi-final.

"You tin ne'er instrumentality thing for granted," said Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman, whose broadside came from down to defeat Colombia 2-1 successful their quarter-final.

"It's precise peculiar to spell truthful acold successful the tourney but erstwhile you're determination you truly privation to triumph and get to the final."

The victor volition look Spain successful Sunday's last astatine Stadium Australia successful Sydney.

Australia would beryllium the archetypal hosts to scope the last since USA's triumph connected location ungraded successful 1999, portion England are bidding to go the 4th federation - aft Brazil, Germany and Sweden - to scope some a men's and women's World Cup final.

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Who are the favourites?

England, ranked 4th successful the world, are coming up against a broadside who are 10th successful the rankings and successful uncharted territory.

But the Lionesses person not been astatine their fluent champion astatine this tournament, portion Australia person location vantage and volition beryllium backed by a fervent assemblage astatine the 81,000-capacity Stadium Australia.

"If you look astatine rankings they're favourites, if you look astatine wherever their players play, they person starting players successful apical clubs successful apical leagues each implicit the world," said Gustavsson.

"We person seat players successful those teams. We person players playing successful mid-table teams successful Sweden.

"So if you look astatine each that and you look astatine resources, financially, evidently they are monolithic favourites going into this game."

However, Wiegman was speedy to disregard those suggestions, saying: "I don't deliberation they are the underdog, they're playing astatine home. The stadium volition beryllium truly full.

"It's 2 teams that are precise beardown and that person grown into the tournament. I deliberation it's going to beryllium precise choky and very, precise competitive."

Gustavsson did hold the Sydney assemblage could person a large interaction connected the result.

"The 1 happening that we person that they don't person is the enactment and content from the fans," helium added. "That successful itself is going to beryllium massive."

The lucifer volition beryllium the nations' archetypal gathering astatine a Women's World Cup, portion Australia won their astir caller brushwood - a affable successful April which ended England's 30-match unbeaten tally and inflicted the Lionesses' lone decision nether Wiegman.

The teams drew 1-1 successful a affable successful 2018 portion England doubly bushed Australia successful non-competitive matches successful 2015, winning 3-0 successful March and 1-0 successful October.

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Another England-Australia rivalry is born

England and Australia stock a unsocial sporting rivalry.

After a thrilling men's and women's Ashes bid this summertime and a last betwixt the 2 nations astatine the Netball World Cup, this is the 3rd instalment of the England-Australia rivalry successful caller months.

That said, some sides person tried to play down immoderate hints of a rivalry successful their pre-match quality conferences, though the communicative is hard to ignore.

"The media bash speech a batch but for america it's not astir Australia, we privation to triumph regardless," said England midfielder Keira Walsh.

While Australia keeper Lydia Williams said she saw the lucifer arsenic "just different game".

How bash the managers compare?

Under Wiegman, England person played 37 matches, winning 29, drafting 7 and suffering conscionable 1 nonaccomplishment - the decision to Australia mentioned above.

The 53-year-old manager has a stellar planetary record, having led her autochthonal Netherlands to a location European Championship triumph successful 2017 and the 2019 World Cup final.

After taking implicit arsenic England brag successful September 2021 she coached the Lionesses to Euro 2022 glory past year. Wiegman's sides person ne'er mislaid a semi-final successful a large planetary tournament.

Gustavsson has won 18 of his 38 matches successful complaint of the Matildas but did pb Australia to a fourth-place decorativeness astatine the Olympics, their best-ever tally successful the contention having beaten Great Britain successful the past eight.

He was besides an adjunct manager for the United States erstwhile they lifted the World Cup successful 2015 and 2019.

Iconic Stadium Australia acceptable for much history

England bushed Colombia astatine a packed Stadium Australia successful Sydney successful their quarter-final

Brown-Finnis' prediction

Everything is stacked successful Australia's favour successful presumption of their signifier and having location vantage - but England person shown a knack for grinding retired results. They person an underlying quality and content that they tin get done games and triumph them.

They mislaid to Australia successful a affable successful April but possibly that was a small world cheque and they volition retrieve that.

It gives the Lionesses an added inducement to spell and bushed them. It didn't mean thing to England astatine the clip - it astir apt meant much to Australia arsenic it was gathering towards a location tourney - but it surely would person jarred and would not person sat good with the English players.

Given England are gathering Australia successful the semi-finals, that gives a wide world of wherever the Matildas' level is presently at. But there's an added inducement for England to spell and get that revenge.

Brown-Finnis' prediction: Australia 1-2 England