Women's World Cup: England v Argentina Preview, Prediction and Where to Watch
England head coach Phil Neville has asked his team to be wary of a strong and physical Argentine side when they two sides in their second Group D clash of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, at the Stade Oceane in Le Havre.
A win for England would mean assured qualification into the Round of 16, and they would like to wrap up their spot in the knockouts before what was touted as their toughest group game against Japan.
Match Details
Kickoff time: 20:00 local time (00:30 IST, 20:00 BST)
Venue: Stade Oceane, Le Havre
Live telecast: Sony Pictures Network (in India), BBC One (in the UK)
England won their first game 2-1 against Scotland, after a Nikita Parris penalty and a goal from Ellen White had set them on their way. The second-half performance was rather below-par, but Neville said that wasn't a big concern for him, and that he expected his team to be up for the Argentine challenge.
"They have grown up playing on the streets, fighting for everything. This is what this Argentina team has got," Neville said.
That spirit was a big reason for Argentina garnering their first ever World Cup point, after their 0-0 draw with Japan in their opening game.
"It [Argentina's draw with Japan] didn't really surprise me. The games that we've studied Argentina we don't think we've seen them as organised and determined as they were against Japan," Neville remarked.
"We're under no illusions as to how tough this game will be. Man-to-man marking, aggressive and we need to show the same quality we did against Scotland to get a result."
England's right flank is going to be crucial. A lot of their best attacking play against Scotland came through the pair of right-back Lucy Bronze and winger Parris, and there is no doubt Neville will rely on the pair to help England conjure up attacking opportunities.
On paper, this should be an easy sail through to a victory for England, but the plucky Argentines will not be making it easy for them, for sure.
Prediction: England 1-0 Argentina