Will the football fairytale continue for the host country?
On Saturday, host nation Australia will clash with France in the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup. The roles seem to be quite clear in advance, because while the French are among the favourites for the title, the Australians probably only have a slim chance of winning the World Cup. For this reason, the bookmakers’ betting odds between Australia and France are also in favour of a victory for the French side.
Australia are now in their eighth consecutive World Cup and only missed out on the inaugural World Cup in 1991. However, the Matildas have never made it past the quarter-finals so far and could be celebrating a Premier. However, the Australians are only in tenth place in the all-time table and have only managed to pick up 36 points from 30 games. For this reason, the odds of the betting providers also speak against a victory of the host nation between Australia and France.
France qualified for a World Cup for the first time in 2003 and has been an integral part of the World Cup participants ever since. In 2011, the French women even won bronze and thus celebrated their greatest success to date. Les Bleues are even one place ahead of Australia in the eternal table and have managed to pick up 43 points from just 23 games. This means that only four teams in World Cup history have a better points average.
We recommend the tip “both teams score – yes” between Australia and France. This is primarily due to the French women, who play outstanding attacking football, but repeatedly slip up defensively. As the host country, the Australians have their own fans at their back and thus a “twelfth woman” on the field. Therefore, we expect a fairly even match.
Australia – Statistics & current form
Australia topped Group B against Nigeria, Canada and Ireland. In the process, the Australians picked up six points and lost only one match. The defeat against the Nigerians was completely undeserved, however, as Tony Gustafsson’s team was clearly superior in terms of play. The Matildas then beat Denmark 2-0 in the round of 16 to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the fourth time.
The Round of 16
The win over Denmark was deserved overall, but the Australian women’s performance was not really convincing. Tony Gustafsson’s team only shot three times at the opponent’s goal, had less possession and also a much weaker passing rate. In the game against France, Australia should therefore improve again, otherwise their chances of reaching the semi-finals are gone.
Always good for a goal
The Matildas are one of the only three teams in the tournament to score at least one goal in every match. Tony Gustafsson’s team shone with effectiveness for long stretches and missed very few chances throughout the tournament.
Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso were the two players who stood out in the Australian attack. The two attackers were directly involved in six of the nine goals and thus played an excellent tournament. This is not surprising, however, as the two attacking players are under contract with Real Madrid and Arsenal FC.
Defensively stable
With three white waistcoats in the tournament, Australia’s back line also seems to be working well. In addition, Australia did not allow a single major chance in the games against Ireland, Canada and Denmark and were only slightly off target in the 3-2 defeat to Nigeria. The good defensive performance is not surprising, however, as three of the four defenders – Ellie Carpenter, Alanna Kennedy and Stephanie Catley – play in the Premier League.
Predicted line-up of Australia:
Australia (Expected line-up) 4-4-2
France – Statistics & current form
France also finished top of their group, beating Jamaica, Brazil and Panama in Group F. Herve Renard’s side picked up seven points in the process, with the only draw coming against the Jamaicans.
However, as this was their first match at the World Cup, the small slip-up should not be overestimated. After the group stage, the French women drew a fairly easy draw with Morocco.
Loose victory
In the round of 16 at the Women’s World Cup, the French easily defeated Morocco 4-0. The game was decided after just 23 minutes, when France were already leading by three goals. After that, Herve Renard’s team took it easy and slowed down the pace. Otherwise, the victory would probably have been much higher, so that this match can hardly be judged as a real yardstick.
Outstanding offence
With twelve goals in the current competition, the French women represent one of the best attacking lines at this World Cup. It should not be forgotten that Herve Renard’s team went without a goal in their first match. In the following three games, France scored an average of four goals.
By far the best player for Les Bleues is striker Kadidiatou Diani. The Paris Saint-Germain attacker has already scored four goals and has also contributed three assists. This makes the French attacker the current top scorer at the World Cup.
Defensively with lapses
While France’s offence is working brilliantly, their back line doesn’t seem to be up to scratch. The three goals conceded against Panama in particular should give Herve Renard’s team pause for thought. Goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud Magnin in particular made a very unfortunate impression. In the entire tournament, the Juventus Turin player was only able to save three of seven shots on goal.
Predicted line-up of France:
France (Expected line-up) 4-4-2
Australia – France Direct comparison / H2H balance
The direct comparison between the two teams is even and therefore has no winner. France managed to win two matches against Australia, while the Matildas also picked up two victories. Three of the four matches took place in a test match and the last duel in the Cyprus Cup was also of little significance. Therefore, the results should not be overrated. For this reason, our prediction between Australia and France also favours a victory for the individually stronger French women.
Australia – France Tip
We play the tip “France qualifies” between Australia and France. In the direct comparison of the two teams, the French women seem to have the edge, especially in terms of individual quality. Herve Renard’s team shines with its excellent attacking play and will certainly cause the Australian defence a lot of problems. For this reason, we are firmly convinced that the French team will prevail in a very exciting and close match.
Alternatively, between Australia and France, we recommend the odds for “France to win a half”. As already mentioned, we expect a very exciting match and also trust the Australians to score. However, as we find it very difficult to imagine the French going without a goal of their own, winning one of the two legs does not seem improbable.
