England vAustralia
Alzheimer's Society International
7.45pm BST, Tuesday 11 April 2023
Live on ITV
Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford FC

Match Stats

● This is the first meeting between England and Australia since October 2018, a 1-1 draw in a friendly match at Craven Cottage.

● Australia are winless in their two away games in England against the Lionesses (D1 L1), with their one defeat coming back in September 2003 at Burnley's Turf Moor, losing 1-0 to a Rachel Yankey goal.

● England are unbeaten in all 30 of their matches under Sarina Wiegman (W25 D5), conceding just ten goals across those games and keeping 20 clean sheets.

● Australia suffered a 1-0 defeat to Scotland in their last match – the Matildas last suffered consecutive defeats in September 2022, losing twice to Canada.

● England have conceded in each of their last three games – they haven’t failed to keep a clean sheet in four consecutive games since between July and October 2019 under Phil Neville (five in a row).

● After failing to score in their 1-0 defeat to Scotland in their last game, Australia are looking to avoid going goalless in consecutive matches for the first time since July 2021.

● England have only failed to score in one of their last 22 matches, a goalless draw with Czech Republic in October 2022.

● Only Beth Mead (21) has scored more goals for England under Sarina Wiegman than Ella Toone (15), who netted the Lionesses’ goal against Brazil in the Finalissima last Thursday.

Head to head

The Lionesses have met Australia on four previous occasions, with England enjoying three wins and one draw against the Matildas. 

Our first game came back in September 2003, when it ended in a 1-0 win for Hope Powell's Lionesses at Burnley's Turf Moor, with Rachel Yankey scoring the winner.

You can see details of our last three games below:-

England 1-1 Australia, 9 October 2018, Fulham FC

A Fran Kirby goal saw England settle for a draw at Craven Cottage in a friendly match. Kirby opened the scoring in the first half, but the Aussies hit back with a late equaliser from Claire Polkinghorne.

England 1-0 Australia, 27 October 2015, Yongchuan, China

The nations met in the final game of the Dewellbon Cup in China, when a goal from Izzy Christiansen settled the match in England's favour.

England 3-0 Australia, 6 March 2015, Nicosia, Cyprus

A hat-trick from Jodie Taylor helped the Lionesses enjoy a comfortable win in the 2015 edition of the Cyprus Cup, as Mark Sampson's side prepared for their 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup campaign. 

England Squad News

Ticket Information

How to watch or stream

England Women v Australia line-ups

Sarina Wiegman has made two changes to her starting XI for England Women’s match with Australia, as Esme Morgan and Chloe Kelly come in for Alex Greenwood and Lauren James.

🚨 The team news for our @alzheimerssoc International is in!

Notice something different about the teamsheet? 👀#TheForgottenThird pic.twitter.com/hJvMBvZP5r

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) April 11, 2023

Goals from Sam Kerr and Charlotte Grant condemned England to their first defeat of the Sarina Wiegman era, as the Lionesses were beaten 2-0 by Australia at the Brentford Community Stadium. 

Kerr sent the Matildas into the break ahead with a dinked finish after half an hour before Grant doubled the away side’s lead when she headed home Kerr’s cross with a quarter of the match to play. 

It sealed an impressive victory for Australia, who become the first side to beat England since April 2021. 

The opening chance fell the way of the Lionesses inside four minutes, as Lauren Hemp whipped in a first-time cross which found the stretching Alessia Russo, who did well to stab a shot towards goal but was easily held by Mackenzie Arnold. 

The Matildas made much of the early running, however, as England struggled to work the ball through the visitors’ narrow system; Hayley Raso saw her shot blocked after pouncing on loose play at the back from the hosts. 

Kerr then had her first sight of goal as she raced into the box after England gave the ball away in midfield, but her pass couldn’t quite find Mary Fowler. 

England then grew into the game, controlling more of the ball for longer periods, and good work from Chloe Kelly down the right saw a dangerous cross find Russo, whose acrobatic attempt went just wide. 

Australia then made the breakthrough just after the half-hour, as Kerr pounced on Leah Williamson’s attempted headed backpass to dink over Mary Earps. 

England rallied after going a goal behind, Georgia Stanway had a shot blocked from inside the box after Russo’s cutback found the midfielder in space, before Lauren James, on as a sub for Hemp, danced past a number of defenders but her shot was high and wide. 

The inclement weather was certainly playing its part in West London, too, as Kelly’s whipped cross almost caused a problem for Arnold, but the West Ham stopper was able to gather at the second attempt ahead of the onrushing Russo. 

The Matildas started the second half on the front foot, and Kerr had another sight of goal inside the first five minutes. Courtnee Vine threaded a ball through the England defence to set the Chelsea striker free but her shot went comfortably wide. 

England continued the search for an equaliser, and almost found one in unlikely circumstances as James’ cross was sliced into the side netting by Clare Hunt. 

Arnold was then called into action for the first time after the break just before the hour, as James curled a shot from the edge of the box which was well-saved low to down to the left. 
The resulting corner then saw Lucy Bronze head narrowly over the bar as England kept up the pressure as they searched for a breakthrough. 

But Australia doubled their lead with 67 minutes on the clock, as a swift counter-attack set Kerr free down the right and her cross was met by the onrushing Grant, who headed home via a deflection off Williamson. 

England continued to push for a way back into the contest, with substitute Rachel Daly having a golden chance to do so 15 minutes from time, but her free header from Bronze’s cross was wide of the target. 

Wiegman turned to her bench in order to try and force a way through the Matildas’ backline, with Jess Park finding space in behind to find Russo but her shot was blocked. 

The Lionesses kept pushing,with Kelly firing over from the edge of the box, before Stanway volleyed wide but it was not enough to prevent defeat in West London. 

England (4-3-3): 1 Mary Earps (Manchester United); 2 Lucy Bronze (FC Barcelona), 5 Leah Williamson (Arsenal), 6 Esme Morgan (Manchester City), 3 Jess Carter (Chelsea); 4 Keira Walsh (FC Barcelona), 8 Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), 10 Ella Toone (Manchester United); 7 Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), 9 Alessia Russo (Manchester United), 11 Lauren Hemp (Manchester City) 

Substitutes: 17 Lauren James (Chelsea) for Hemp 28’, 19 Rachel Daly (Aston Villa) for Toone 60’, 20 Jess Park (Everton on loan from Manchester City) for Carter 

Subs not used: 12 Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), 13 Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City), 14 Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal), 15 Niamh Charles (Chelsea), 16 Jordan Nobbs (Aston Villa), 18 Laura Coombs (Manchester City), 21 Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa), 22 Katie Robinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), 23 Lucy Parker (West Ham United) 

Manager: Sarina Wiegman 

Australia (4-4-2): 18 Mackenzie Arnold; 21 Ellie Carpenter, 29 Clare Hunt, 4 Clare Polkinghorne, 22 Charlotte Grant; 16 Hayley Raso, 19 Katrina Gorry, 23 Kyra Cooney-Cross, 13 Tameka Yallop; 11 Mary Fowler, 20 Sam Kerr 

Substitutes: 5 Cortnee Vine for Yallop 40’, 26 Clare Wheeler for Vine, 2 Courtney Nevin for Raso 90’, 27 Alex Chidiac for Kerr 90’ 

Subs not used: 1 Lydia Williams, 3 Aivi Luik, 12 Teagan Micah, 24 Larissa Crummer, 25 Remy Siemsen, 28 Mathyssen-Whyman, 30 Amy Sayer, 31 Matilda McNamara 

Manager: Tony Gustavsson 

Goals: Kerr 32’, Grant 68’ 

Yellow Cards: Raso 89’, Arnold 90’