da blaze casino: Including an exciting duel between two Barcelona team-mates, GOAL looks at where Sunday's game could be won and lost.
da lvbet: On Sunday, England and Spain will face off in Sydney for the chance to win the Women's World Cup for the very first time. Neither side has even been in the showpiece event before and that lack of experience of the biggest game in the sport adds another layer of intrigue to what is sure to be an incredibly interesting encounter.
England have slowly raised their game round-by-round in Australia, avoiding a last 16 scare against Nigeria but dispatching of Colombia and Australia in the latter stages with professional performances that showed their quality and pedigree. Spain, meanwhile, overcame a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Japan in the group stages, and a lot of off-field chaos, to get here.
Neither have faced an opponent as strong as the other yet in this tournament. England haven't taken on a team that is going to starve them of possession as much as Spain will do, either. It'll be a fascinating tactical match-up as well as a duel between two teams of serious quality.
So, what will be the key battles out there on the pitch at Stadium Australia on Sunday? In what areas will this World Cup final be decided? GOAL takes a look…
GettyRachel Daly vs Alba Redondo
When Spain and England met in the quarter-finals of last year's Euros, it was Rachel Daly who was targeted by La Roja. A centre forward at club level, Daly was used exclusively as a left-back in that tournament and when Athenea del Castillo came onto the right wing at half time in that game, she made running at England's makeshift defender a priority.
It was from doing so that Spain scored their goal, Athenea slipping the ball through the legs of Daly before teeing up Esther Gonzalez to net from close range.
Fast forward 12 months and Daly has been given more opportunities in the forward line for her country but she has settled into a left wing-back role in this tournament, so will again be tasked with defending that side. This time, it'll be Alba Redondo that she has to stop, the Levante star who scored more goals in Liga F than anyone else last season.
She is a very different player to Athenea but knowing how well things went when targeting Daly at the Euros, Spain head coach Jorge Vilda will no doubt be encouraging Redondo to do the same. It'll be up to England's No.9 to stay defensively solid, then, and ensure she is not a weak link.
AdvertisementGettyMillie Bright vs Jennifer Hermoso
England have been extremely solid since moving to a back three but in Jennifer Hermoso they will be coming up against an extremely tricky opponent. Spain's all-time record goal-scorer is a dynamic forward, someone who can play as a No.9 or in midfield, meaning that when she plays as a striker, she's able to drag centre-backs out from their position to create space for others.
The communication between the Lionesses' back line and with the midfield, which will be tasked with dealing with some of the world's best technicians, is going to be key, then.
At the centre of England's back three will be Millie Bright and marking Hermoso will be her duty. It's going to be so important for the Lionesses that she uses her experience to know when to go with the Spaniard and when to let her go.
On the flip side, if Hermoso can bring Bright out from her position, it'll allow Spain to get runners in behind and into good goal-scoring positions.
GettyGeorgia Stanway vs Aitana Bonmati
Few will argue that Aitana Bonmati doesn't deserve to win the Ballon d'Or in a few months' time, such has been the quality and consistency she has shown in the past year. The Barcelona star has the ability to change a game in an instant, whether with a defence-splitting pass or a magical strike, and tasked with keeping her quiet will be Georgia Stanway.
The England midfielder doesn't shy away from the dirty work which is good because she'll have plenty of it to do in this game. Spain are expected to dominate and so the Lionesses' midfield three will need to press well, battle hard and graft to win possession back.
Given how good Stanway is at being a nuisance off the ball, she's the perfect match-up to deal with Bonmati but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy. Let her slip away for a moment and it could be match-defining.
GettyLauren Hemp vs Laia Codina
When Spain lost 4-0 to Japan in the group stages, they were constantly caught out on the counter, the Nadeshiko proving to be incredibly quick, efficient and clinical in transition. England might not sit back as much as the Asian nation did but they'll certainly need to capitalise on any turnovers in this game, and Lauren Hemp will be key to that.
The Manchester City star has seen her role change from that of a winger to one of two centre forwards and the way she's driven at defenders with her pace and confidence from that position has been devastating. Her performances in the semi-final in particular was superb and getting her on the ball as much as possible will be important if England are to win the World Cup.
Spain's defence lacks pace, too. With Mapi Leon withdrawing from national team selection due to a lack of change within the federation, any centre-back pairing of La Roja's has been quite slow when on the back foot.
Of Irene Paredes and Laia Codina, who has been linked to Arsenal in recent days, it's the latter who has a little less pace and so Hemp will be sure to target her to run at and expose when she gains possession.