Despite winning both of their opening Group D games The Lionesses are still not guaranteed a last 16 place, meaning that Sarina Weigman will have to play a full strength team to get the job done against China. England have flattered to deceive so far during the tournament but a point here would see them qualify as group winners.
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It’s easy to be critical as we have now come to expect a lot from this team, but Weigman can take confidence from the fact that they still haven’t conceded a goal despite missing key players. It’s also evident how much the gap between emerging nations is bridging closer with every tournament, we aren’t seeing rugby scores like in years gone by and every game is looking competitive.
Kiera Walsh will miss out after suffering a knee injury against Denmark and it remains to be seen how much she will feature for the remainder of the World Cup. Walsh’s absence will be a huge blow as she is arguably our most influential midfielder in the squad. The Lionesses can ill afford to take China lightly if we have ambitions of topping this group. China themselves are looking for a win to give themselves a chance of qualifying from the group, but will also need Haiti to do them a favour against the Danes.
As I called last week, Sarina Weigman opted to select Rachel Daly in a familiar England role operating as a left-back, a decision which I felt worked well with Lauren James also coming in on the left-wing, grabbing a crucial goal. More changes will have to be made on Tuesday to accommodate for the missing Kiera Walsh, and I am intrigued to see what Sarina opts to do with the team to fill that void. The key here will be to get through the game with no more injuries and make sure we come away with a draw as a minimum, so I think there could be a case for a few changes for fresh legs in certain positions, or some earlier substitutions.
China will come into this game with no fear and I have no doubt they will give us some troubling moments. Speaking to CGTN about the task of facing England, manager Shui Qingxia had this to say, “They are definitely strong opponents, but that doesn’t mean that we must give up our own advantage.” Shui later added “I want to take this opportunity to find out our advantages over the European teams. I don’t think they will see us as an easy competitor. We are no piece of cake.” From that you can imagine that the dressing room is looking forward to this encounter and are going out there with the full intentions of causing an upset.
Match Stats
- England are ranked 4th in the world rankings.
- China are ranked 14th in the world rankings.
- The last time the two teams met was in 2015 with China winning 2-1.
- A point for England would see them qualify as group winners.
- All four Group D games have finished 1-0, only Group B has seen as few goals (also four).
- England didn’t have a shot on target after the 22nd minute of the Denmark game.
Betting Predictions
England to win 1-0 4/1 with William Hill
With all four of the games in Group D so far having ended 1-0, and Kiera Walsh missing in the middle of the park I will be going with England to scrape a 1-0 win.
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England vs China Betting Tips
England are tipped to earn a narrow victory against China
First goalscorer Lauren James 13/2 with William Hill
I have a feeling that Lauren James will have another big moment in an England jersey after her memorable moment against Denmark. The stage is set and she has grabbed her opportunity so far with both hands after Weigman put her trust in her.
Predictions for England vs China
Lauren James is backed to break the deadlock against China
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