Australia will begin their 2019 Women’s World Cup campaign on Sunday, June 9 (9pm AEST) against Italy at the Stade du Hainaut in France.
The Matildas come into the tournament ranked sixth in the world, while Italy currently sit 15th ahead of their first Women’s World Cup appearance since 1999.
These two nations have faced each other eight times previously with their first meeting coming in 1997 and both claiming three wins since.
Australia will be strong favourites to claim a fourth win however as they appear at their seventh straight World Cup.
| Game | Australia vs Italy |
| Date | Sunday, June 9 |
| Time | 9:00pm AEST |
| Stream (AUS only) | Optus Sport |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
Every Matildas match at the Women’s World Cup, including Australia’s match against Italy, is available live and free on SBS.
For those looking to stream the match, Optus Sport will also be showing every match of the tournament.
The platform requires a monthly subscription of $14.99 for non-Optus customers.
Squads & Team News
| Position | Australia squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Williams, Arnold, Micah |
| Defenders | Simon, Polkinghorne, Alleway, Catley, Kennedy, Carpenter, Allen |
| Midfielders | Luik, Logarzo, Kellond-Knight, Van Egmond, Yallop, Gorry, Harrison |
| Forwards | Foord, Kerr, Fowler, Raso, Gielnik, De Vanna |
Possible Matildas XI: Williams, Carpenter, Polkinghorne, Kennedy, Catley, Kellond-Knight, Van Egmond, Logarzo, Raso, Foord, Kerr.
| Position | Italy squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Giuliani, Marchitelli, Pipitone |
| Defenders | Gama, Linari, Gaugni, Bartoli, Fusetti, Boattin, Tucceri |
| Midfielders | Bergamaschi, Galli, Rosucci, Parisi, Bonansea, Serturini, Cernoia, Giugliano |
| Forwards | Sabatino, Girelli, Tarenzi, Mauro, Giacinti |
Betting & Match Odds
Australia are heavy favourites to claim a win against Italy going at odds of $1.57, courtesy of bet365.
A draw is valued at $3.80 and an Italy win at $6.
The Matildas odds of winning the Women’s World Cup currently sit at $15, while Italy’s chances are ranked at $51.
Match Preview
After months of off-field drama following the sacking of coach Alen Stajcic, the Matildas will be desperate to let their football do the talking in France.
Led now by Ante Milicic, Australia suffered a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands in their final match before the World Cup and have lost their past two games after a 5-3 defeat to the United States.
The Matildas began 2019 with three straight wins however which saw them pick up the inaugural Cup of Nations and they’ll be hoping to get things back on track against Italy.
These two sides last met in 2014 when Australia claimed an emphatic 5-2 win at the Cyprus Cup.
Italy have however found form at the right time and have won seven of their nine games played in 2019 – losing on penalties to North Korea and drawing with Poland.
Both the Matildas and Italy aren’t short of attacking talent with Sam Kerr and Daniela Sabatino both worth keeping an eye on in the final third.
On paper, Australia should prove too strong across the park but Italy won’t be making life easy for a green and gold side that have conceded eight goals in their past two games.
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