Preview for day nine of 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as Group D take centre stage with England amongst those in action.
After winning their opening Group D matches, England and Denmark meet in a clash which could determine who tops the group, whilst China and Haiti later meet in a game which could well determine who won’t advance to the knockout stage with a game to spare.
Argentina meanwhile take on South Africa in Group G as both teams look to bounce back from opening defeats, with view to mounting a push for qualification into the knockouts.
Group G – Argentina vs South Africa
Having suffered opening defeats against Italy and Sweden respectively, this game is an absolute must-win for both teams if want to realistically keep their knockout dreams alive.
Argentina though must find a more clinical end product because they didn’t offer much when got on the attack, yet their defending was absolutely excellent in terms of game management under pressure except for a late switch-off in their marking which was duly punished.
South Africa meanwhile were more than a match for Sweden for the majority of their clash, with a front-footed defence and a brave attack not afraid to have a go at the Swedes, which I would like to see more of here.
Argentina’s defence however will be tough to break down and unlike their counter-attack approach against Sweden, South Africa should certainly be looking to play front-footed attacking football throughout but patience might be a virtue if can keep the Argentineans at bay.
Prediction: Argentina 0-1 South Africa
Result: Argentina 2-2 South Africa
Group D – England vs Denmark
With intense scrutiny around their sluggish win over a physical Haiti, England certainly should have a point to prove here but they are going to have to up their intensity and cut out their defensive mistakes, especially if they’re to live up to expectations and fight for the title.
Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses however can take heart from last summer’s Women’s Euros because their opening fixture in that tournament was scrappy, yet they turned up in their second game with a masterclass performance although I don’t see them scoring eight goals here.
Denmark meanwhile found themselves in a physical battle against China despite being more dominant, with a clinical set piece proving the difference which certainly should motivate them coming into this daunting encounter.
On that note, this game does look like it could well be closely fought but if England can polish up their attack, I fancy them to have the edge but this won’t be an easy game for either team by any stretch.
Prediction: England 1-0 Denmark
Group D – China vs Haiti
Despite defensively containing Denmark for much of their opening match whilst still taking the fight to then attack wise, China were undone by a late switch-off from a corner kick which was allowed to freely be headed into goal from just inside the box.
Haiti meanwhile will feel hard done by with their loss to England because they were defensively excellent aside from some sloppy fouls, whilst their physical attacking intensity and press with pace certainly caused major issues for England’s defence but this is a chance to immediately bounce back.
Now if Haiti can play with the same physicality and China lack the power on their end product like they did against the Danish, I can see an upset brewing.
Prediction: China 0-1 Haiti
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