The prize is the trophy as Spain and England square off in the final of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on Sunday. It has been an impressive tournament for both teams but the Lionesses appear to have that extra bit of quality and should claim the win over the Spaniards.
Spain qualified for the final of the FIFA Women's World Cup after claiming a hard fought 2-1 victory over Sweden on Sunday. With the game looking to be headed for a draw, Salma Paralluelo came off the bench to score the opener with fellow substitute Olga Carmona netting the winner after Swedes had drawn level.
It has been a fine World Cup campaign for the Spaniards, who have lost just once in six matches so far. Jorge Vilda’s ladies have come through a truly difficult route in the competition, edging past heavyweights like Netherlands and Sweden to reach Sunday’s final.
One sour spot in an otherwise brilliant campaign for Spain is the 4-0 defeat to former champions Japan during the group stage. While playing in the final means they have overcome that setback, the result exposed a defensive vulnerability for La Furia Roja, who have gone on to concede in every game since having kept clean sheets in their opening two matches.
It has been an impressive 12 months for England, who are enjoying an exceptional time under manager Sarina Wiegman. They won the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2022 and now have a chance to add football’s crown jewel to their recent success.
England have arguably been the best team at this year’s World Cup as they are yet to taste defeat after six matches. They secured a place in Sunday’s final after picking up a 3-1 victory over hosts Australia with Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo getting the goals.
One similarity with Spain is that England have also looked shaky at the back lately, conceding in their last two matches. However, they have made up for this by being clinical in attack and will be boosted by the return of Lauren James, who was suspended for the last two games after picking up a red card in the round of 16 clash with Nigeria.
How the bookies view it
The bookies appear to be split on this one with bet365 offering odds of 17/10 for a Spain win while a victory for England is values at 15/8 by Unibet. A draw is set at odds of 21/10 by Unibet.
Head to head
England have a 6-2 advantage with three draws from 11 previous matches with Spain. The Lionesses claimed the upper hand when both sides met in the quarter-finals of last year’s European Championship as they won 2-1 after extra-time.
Players to watch
Jenni Hermoso has led the line brilliantly for Spain at the World Cup, scoring three goals in five matches. The striker could be worth keeping an eye on to find the net on Sunday at 17/5 with Willi Hill.
Alessia Russo has shown she is the woman for the big occasion, showing her quality in the knockout stages after a slow start to the tournament. The England striker has scored in the last two matches and is priced at 10/3 by bet365 to find the net on Sunday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Spain and England have not been particularly convincing at the back in the last two matches and both teams could be tipped to score at 11/10 with William Hill. The Lionesses saw over 3.5 goals in their semi-final clash and a repeat is priced at 4/1 with bet365 while over 2.5 goals is valued at 6/4 with bet365.
Both teams saw more goals after the break in their semi-final fixtures and Sunday’s clash can be tipped to follow a similar pattern at 5/4 with Paddy Power.
This Women's World Cup match between Spain and England will be played on Aug 20, 2023 and kick off at 11:00. Check below for our tipsters best Spain vs England prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
