Spain vs Sweden – Women’s World Cup preview: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction

Spain and Sweden go face to face within the first of the 2023 Women’s World Cup semi-finals this week, battling to make it into the ultimate and provides themselves an opportunity to carry the trophy.

Already at this World Cup there may be assured to be a model new champion following Japan’s elimination on the quarter-finals, dropping to Sweden. The 2011 champions adopted former winners United States, Norway (each final 16) and Germany (group stage) out of the competitors.

Of the 4 groups left, which additionally consists of Australia and England within the different semi to be performed a day later, Sweden are the one one to have reached a World Cup closing earlier than, doing so in 2003. The Scandinavians additionally completed third in 2019 and performed in every of the final two Olympic finals.

Given their repute as some of the proficient squads on the planet, Spain are remarkably competing at simply their third World Cup, having been knocked out within the group stage in 2015 and solely going so far as the final 16 4 years in the past.

Across 11 earlier conferences, Spain have by no means overwhelmed Sweden, dropping seven and drawing 4. In reality, Spain’s two worst ever outcomes have each been by the hands of Sweden, an 8-0 defeat in 1996 and a 7-0 thrashing in 2000. Each time, it was in European Championship qualifiers.

It is not a fixture with a lot current historical past, although. A 1-1 pleasant attract October 2022 is the one time they’ve performed one another within the final 20 years, with most different video games coming in European Championship qualifying campaigns all through the Nineties.

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Aitana Bonmati and Laia Codina are each anticipated to shake off muscle accidents, however Oihane Hernandez is suspended following bookings in opposition to Netherlands and Japan.

On her journey to full health, again-to-again Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas has not been an everyday starter on the match, managing 33 minutes off the bench up to now within the knockouts.

Kosovare Asllani, who spent two years at Real Madrid till final summer season, is hoping to be accessible regardless of coming off in opposition to Japan with an issue. Caroline Seger stays a significant doubt.

Spain confirmed with victory over the Netherlands final day out that their group stage thrashing in opposition to Japan was both a blip or one thing they in a short time discovered from and corrected.

Sweden made Japan look very peculiar final day out and can once more fancy their probabilities in opposition to a technically-drilled opponent. With successive former champions knocked out up to now, their confidence must also be sky excessive at this level.

Prediction: Spain 1-1 Sweden (Sweden to win on penalties)