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England vs China Bet Builder Tips and Player Props
It’s European champions, England vs China, the Asian Cup winners, in the final group stage game of the FIFA Women’s World Cup at 12:00. Sarina Weigman’s side will aim to maintain a perfect record and book their place into the last 16. The Steel Roses need a win to stand a chance of advancing into the next round.
This will be the sixth meeting between the two teams, with China having the upper hand in the head-to-head battle. The Asian side has lost just once in their previous five meetings. However, neither side has lost their final group stage game at the World Cup.
Bet Builder odds: 7.00
World, Women’s World Cup, 1st August, 12:00 (UK)
Odds via bet365 as at 06:47, 31st July. Odds may now differ.
England vs China Lowdown:
Under Weigman, England continues to get results and will enter the game as favourites to top the group.
The Lionesses beat Denmark 1-0 in their previous group stage game in what turned out to be a cagey affair, and one we called perfectly here at bettingexpert. An early goal from Lauren James was enough as England failed to hit top form in the game. Weigman’s side could only create 1.1xG (expected goals) in the entire game.
They started brightly but lost momentum following an injury to star midfielder Keira Walsh. The 26-year-old will be unavailable for the final group-stage game. Man City’s Laura Coombs will likely replace her in the lineup.
Replacing Walsh is pivotal
Georgia Stanway filled in Walsh’s role against Denmark and will likely be seen in that role against China as well. The Bayern Munich star took no shots playing as the defensive midfielder for two-thirds of the game. Playing on a yellow card as the defensive midfielder will put a lot of strain on Stanway, who is combative without the ball.
Rachel Daly was included in the lineup after missing out on the opening game. The Aston Villa striker was once again seen in the left-back role for the Lionesses. She turned provider in the game, recording three Key Passes (joint-most) against Denmark. The former Houston Dash forward picked up the assist for James’ stunning goal.
China show steel despite depleted line up
China put in a resolute performance against Haiti and snatched a win despite being a player down. The veteran defensive midfielder, Zhang Rui, was shown a red card in the 29th minute and will be unavailable for the final group-stage game.
Wang Shuang started the game from the bench again but turned the tide in China’s favour after coming on. The 28-year-old scored the match-winning penalty in the 74th minute and was purposeful with the ball. Despite playing 45 minutes, she had the most penalty box passes (2) in the game.
The 22-year-old Zhang Linyan also impressed for the Steel Roses. The winger had the most shots (2) and created the most chances (1) in the game for China. She was relentless with her pressing and put in a double shift to compensate for the numerical disadvantage. Linyan always looked to take on her marker, attempting a game-high of eight take-ons against Haiti.
England vs China Stats: Bronze the pick of the bunch
- China have lost just once against England in the last five meetings
- Neither China nor England have lost their final group stage game
- Lucy Bronze had the most shots (4) and created the most chances (3) against Denmark
- England have scored in 15 consecutive World Cup games
- China have not scored in their last four games against European sides
Likely a familiar script for Lionesses
Golden Bronze on the end of everything
The fullbacks are key for Weigman’s side in the game against China.
Barcelona’s Lucy Bronze had the most shots (4) in the game against Denmark. The right-back is the primary target on England’s corner deliveries at the far post. She is strong aerially and wins the first contact. The 31-year-old showcased her creative side against Denmark, creating the joint most shots (3) in the game. She added value every time she got on the ball, either via progression or shot creation.
England to snatch three points
Chelsea winger, James, was the absolute star in the game. Her three shots was the second-highest figure in the game, and she managed to put all of them on target. The 21-year-old dazzled her way on the way, recording the joint most take-ons (5) in the game.
If James replicates that kind of form once again, England will go some way towards creating the chances needed to post three points here in the final group stage fixture. At 1.45, it’s a good option to boost the bet builder price.
Compact and tough to breach for spells
The compact 4-4-2 block from the Steel Roses has been difficult to breach for sides thus far. They have relied on their defensive solidity to keep the scoreline in check and have looked to hurt teams on transition.
All four results in Group D have been by 1-0 margins, with no team playing lights-out football. England became slightly conservative following the injury to Walsh, and China have played compactly thus far. Despite this, the Lionesses have ample offensive talent to disrupt China’s block and score goals, but not too many, hence the Under 4.5 line here.
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