We look ahead to this huge 2023 Women’s World Cup Group B match at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium with our Canada vs Australia preview and prediction.
Canada vs Australia Stats: Quick Hits
- Australia are slight favourites to win this World Cup match, with the Opta Supercomputer giving them a 37% chance of victory.
- Canada defeated Australia twice in the space of four days in September 2022, with Adriana Leon scoring all three of their goals.
- Before this tournament, no Women’s World Cup host nation has failed to make it to the knockout stages.
Match Preview
Australia will attempt to qualify for the knockout stage, a fate that has been achieved by all the previous hosts of the FIFA Women’s World Cup before this edition. To do that, it’s likely they will have to defeat Canada in this match. It’s possible that a draw could take them through, but for that to happen, they’d need to rely on the Republic of Ireland beating Nigeria (a match that’ll take place simultaneously to this) and hope they can better Nigeria’s goal difference.
Their World Cup campaign started well with a 1-0 victory over the Irish, but a shock 3-2 defeat to Nigeria on MD2 has left them on the brink of a tournament exit, unless they can find a positive result in this game.
Not since 2003 have Australia been sent home from a Women’s World Cup in the group stage, and they’ll hope that all-time top scorer Sam Kerr can be passed fit to help fire them through, this time. Kerr has missed the opening two games of the tournament through injury, and the most recent reports suggest it isn’t looking positive for the Chelsea striker or her national team ahead of this game.
Canada have won four points from their first two games, with a 0-0 draw against Nigeria followed by a 2-1 win versus the Republic of Ireland.
Adriana Leon scored her first WWC goal in the win over the Irish, meaning she’s now scored 10 goals under coach Bev Priestman in all competitions, more than any other player during her tenure. One player still looking for a goal in this tournament is legendary striker Christine Sinclair. The 40-year-old missed a penalty on MD1 versus Nigeria and needs a goal in these finals to become the first player in Women’s World Cup history to score in six different editions of the tournament.
Canada vs Australia Head-to-Head
Canada defeated Australia twice in the space of four days in September 2022, both in international friendlies. The 1-0 and 2-1 wins saw every goal scored by reliable Canadian goalscorer Adriana Leon.
Canada and Australia will face each other for the second time at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, following a 2-2 draw in their final group stage game at the 2007 tournament. Across all competitions, Australia haven’t beaten Canada since May 2008, when the Matildas enjoyed a 2-1 friendly victory at home.
Canada vs Australia Prediction
Australia will most likely need a win in this match and luckily for them, the Opta supercomputer thinks they’ll get it – but it’s tight. Australia’s 37% chance of victory is only a shade higher than Canada’s 34%, with a draw (29%) not going to help the Matildas if Nigeria get anything from their match against the Republic of Ireland, as expected.
Canada vs Australia Squads
Canada: Kailen Sheridan, Allysha Chapman, Kadeisha Buchanan, Shelina Zadorsky, Quinn, Deanne Rose, Julia Grosso, Jayde Riviere, Jordyn Huitema, Ashley Lawrence, Evelyne Viens, Christine Sinclair, Sophie Schmidt, Vanessa Gilles, Nichelle Prince, Gabrielle Carle, Jessie Fleming, Sabrina D’Angelo, Adriana Leon, Cloé Lacasse, Simi Awujo, Lysianne Proulx, Olivia Smith.
Australia: Lydia Williams, Courtney Nevin, Aivi Luik, Clare Polkinghorne, Cortnee Vine, Clare Wheeler, Steph Catley, Alex Chidiac, Caitlin Foord, Emily van Egmond, Mary Fowler, Teagan Micah, Tameka Yallop, Alanna Kennedy, Clare Hunt, Hayley Raso, Kyah Simon, Mackenzie Arnold, Katrina Gorry, Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter, Charlotte Grant, Kyra Cooney-Cross.
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