England will meet Spain within the 2023 World Cup closing after defeating co-hosts Australia in a pulsating semi-final in Sydney.
The Lionesses held off a Sam Kerr-inspired fightback to triumph 3-1 and ebook their place in Sunday’s showpiece on the similar venue.
Right here, the PA information company picks out some key stats forward of the all-European encounter.
Historical past makers
Each groups are enjoying of their first closing, with England having misplaced back-to-back semis in 2015 and 2019 and Spain having solely gained one World Cup match earlier than this 12 months.
The Lionesses are unbeaten within the event having topped Group D, whereas Spain have been runners-up in Group C following a 4-0 loss to Japan.
Spain are solely the second workforce in World Cup historical past to achieve the ultimate having misplaced a sport by 4 or extra objectives, after Norway bounced again from a gap 4-0 defeat in opposition to China to complete as runners-up in 1991.
Whatever the outcome, Europe is assured to finish its 16-year World Cup drought, with Germany most just lately profitable in 2007, whereas it’s 20 years because the final closing to characteristic two European nations (Germany v Sweden in 2003).
As reigning continental champions, England are in search of to emulate the aforementioned German aspect by finishing a historic double, having already matched Sarina Wiegman’s 2019 Netherlands workforce by reaching the ultimate as Euros winners.
Wiegman retains the religion
Sarina. Wiegman. pic.twitter.com/utZ4tPLS19
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) August 16, 2023
Netherlands’ defeat in opposition to the US within the 2019 closing stays Wiegman’s solitary loss throughout 25 matches at main worldwide tournaments.
That exceptional file has been constructed on consistency in choice.
Having began with the identical 11 in each match of Euro 2022, England have used simply 17 gamers on the World Cup to this point, the joint-fewest of any workforce to achieve the knockout levels.
Spain – in distinction – have known as on all however certainly one of their 23-strong squad, with solely third-choice goalkeeper Enith Salon but to characteristic.
Wiegman has additionally barely used her bench in comparison with Jorge Vilda – her Spanish counterpart – with England having made 17 substitutions to Spain’s 29.
Spain on music, England dogged
Statistically, Spain have outperformed England in most departments at this 12 months’s World Cup.
They’ve scored 17 objectives to the Lionesses’ 13, having tried significantly extra pictures (143 to 81), passes (4,137 to three,605), crosses (214 to 129) and ball progressions (181 to 99) than their closing opponents.
Wiegman’s aspect have solely sometimes discovered the shape that carried them to the Euro 2022 title – once they scored 22 objectives in six matches – and have as a substitute relied on their defensive resilience to progress.
England have conceded solely thrice from 64 efforts on Mary Earps’ aim, whereas Spain have proved extra vulnerable having shipped seven objectives from simply 36 pictures confronted.
Renewed rivalry
Each groups shall be braced for a good battle following their most up-to-date assembly within the Euro 2022 quarter-finals.
The Lionesses emerged as 2-1 victors on that event, however solely after a late fightback.
Esther Gonzalez fired Spain right into a deserved lead earlier than Ella Toone equalised within the 84th minute and Georgia Stanway scored an extra-time winner.
Spain dominated for big durations, ending with 56 per cent of possession and firing 17 pictures to the Lionesses’ 9.
It stays the one event match beneath Wiegman during which England noticed their opponents take pleasure in nearly all of the ball.
