Australia W vs France W prediction: WORLD: World Cup Women – Play Offs betting tips on match 2023-08-11 07:00.
It was another night to remember for Australia’s Matildas earlier this week after a 2-0 win over Denmark saw them score their sixth and seventh straight unanswered goals whilst sending them to the Women’s World Cup (WWC) quarter-final. Adding to the co-hosts’ hysteria was a cameo appearance from inspirational captain and striker, Sam Kerr, who came back from injury to feature for the first time in the tournament. Kerr’s fellow striker Caitlin Foord described her full return as “pretty scary” for prospective adversaries such as upcoming opponents France.
It’s a timely recovery as never before have the Matildas progressed further than this at a WWC despite reaching this stage in three of their last four tournament appearances, so a potential semi-final date with either of England or Colombia would be historic. The Aussies conceded exactly three goals in two of their prior three quarter final exits, although those ghosts may well have been laid to rest considering they’ve kept three clean sheets from their four games this time around.
FIFA’s #5 ranked nation are a warm favourite to eliminate the co-hosts, having made light work of all who have opposed them since their round one draw. A 4-0 demolition job of Morocco made it 12 goals scored across their last three WWC outings which is just another feather in the cap of boss Hervé Renard, the man who oversaw Saudi Arabia’s famous victory over eventual winners Argentina in the men’s winter World Cup.
Les Bleues were knocked out at this stage in each of the previous two editions of the WWC despite getting on the scoresheet in both, most recently via a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to USA in 2019. Only once have they progressed further than this – when finishing fourth in 2011 – so the opportunity is there for both of these great nations to make history if they can take just one more step.
Players to watch: Described as “the best striker in the world” by her teammate Emily van Egmond, Kerr will likely make her full return to the team here looking to build upon her amazing return of five goals from four appearances at the previous tournament. Trying to outdo her will be France’s all-time top scorer Eugenie Le Sommer, who scored her 91st and 92nd international goals in the previous round.
Hot stat: France have scored eight goals before half-time at this WWC, which is one fewer than Australia’s total haul of nine.