The Women’s World Cup hosts will be back in action on Thursday, as they look to secure their passage through to the knockout round. Australia will be full of confidence after their win in their opening match against Ireland, but Nigeria will present a stern test.
Women’s World Cup 2023 Preview
Australia will be back in action at the Women’s World Cup this week, as they look to register back-to-back wins to start a World Cup campaign for the first time in their history. The hosts were nervy in their opening match, with their only effort being scored from the penalty spot by Stephanie Catley after 52 minutes. Ireland pushed for an equaliser in the final 20 minutes, but Australia were able to keep them out.
However, the Aussies will once again be without their all-time leading scorer Sam Kerr, as the striker is set to return for their final group stage match. Australia has an excellent record against sides from Africa at the World Cup, as they have won each of their last three.
Nigeria remain in the hunt for a place in the knockout round, but there will be pressure on them following a draw in their opening match. That pressure could be intensified if either Canada or Ireland are able to land maximum points in their second group stage match on Wednesday morning.
Nigeria would have taken the positives from their opening match in Group B, as they played out a 0-0 draw against Canada. That result means that they will now be looking to go two matches without defeat in a single edition of the World Cup for the first time in their history. However, they will likely need to show more in the final third to test Australia.
Australia vs Nigeria Head to Head
This will be the second clash between Australia and Nigeria at the World Cup. The previous clash between the nations came at the 2015 World Cup, with Australia landing a 2-0 win.
Australia vs Nigeria Prediction
Australia wasn’t at their best in their opening match against Ireland, but they could secure their passage through to the next round with victory on Thursday. We don’t expect a high-scoring clash between these two sides, with the most likely result coming in the form of a 1-0 win for the hosts.
Make sure to bet on Australia vs Nigeria with 22Bet!
Bet here
