Before resuming their bid to qualify for Euro 2024 as group winners, England gear up for a second friendly match on the bounce, as Australia make the trip to Wembley on Friday evening.
The Three Lions overcame Scotland 3-1 in last month’s exhibition encounter, while the Socceroos played out a 2-2 draw with Mexico during their solitary September battle.
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After the Three Lions’ perfect record in Euro 2024 qualifying came to an end with a 1-1 draw against Ukraine – which inevitably reignited debate over Gareth Southgate‘s tactics and choice of playing personnel – England visited a hostile Hampden Park for a 150th Anniversary Heritage Match with old foes Scotland.
Not much excitement was to be had when the two neighbours locked horns for the very first time in an 1872 goalless draw, but England’s effervescent youngsters stole the show in the first half, as Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham put the Three Lions two goals to the good.
The luckless Harry Maguire soon became the butt of Scotland fans’ jokes as his own goal gave Steve Clarke‘s men a slice of hope, but the ever-reliable Harry Kane restored England’s two-goal lead late on to ensure the day – and the bragging rights – belonged to the men in white.
Winning five and drawing one of their six matches since being sent packing by France in the World Cup quarter-finals, England follow Friday’s affair with a repeat of the Euro 2020 final against Italy at Wembley, where Southgate’s men could potentially confirm their place at next year’s Finals if results go their way in the next few days.
Coincidentally, the Azzurri were the most recent team to deny England a friendly victory in 2018, as the Three Lions have since prevailed in 11 straight exhibition matches – 10 of which have come at home – and they are unbeaten in 15 non-competitive battles since a 3-2 loss on France’s turf in 2017.
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For Australia, Graham Arnold‘s crop will be seeking to follow in the footsteps of their female counterparts, who defeated the England Women’s team 2-0 in a friendly match six months ago, before Sarina Wiegman‘s troops earned revenge in 3-1 World Cup semi-final success.
The Socceroos also made the knockout stages of their most recent World Cup appearance, although their run ended prematurely with a last-16 defeat to Argentina, and asserting their dominance in a handful of friendlies this year has been a difficult ask for Arnold’s men.
A double-header with Ecuador saw Australia sink their South American counterparts 3-1 before suffering a 2-1 beating four days later, and a reunion with world champions Argentina in June also saw the world’s 27th-ranked nation come out on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline.
The visitors snapped their losing run by playing out a four-goal stalemate with Mexico last month, although they were 2-0 up heading into the final 25 minutes before victory was ripped from their grasp by Raul Jimenez and Cesar Huerta, whose late strikes saw Australia concede at least two goals for the fourth time in five matches.
England’s seven meetings with Australia down the years have all been played under friendly circumstances, and the Three Lions have only been defeated once in a 3-1 2003 beating under Sven-Goran Eriksson, with their most recent encounter ending in a 2-1 success in 2016, where an 18-year-old Marcus Rashford became the youngest-ever England men’s player to score on their debut.
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Amid incessant calls for Arsenal starlet Bukayo Saka to enjoy a proper break, the 22-year-old has now succumbed to a hamstring problem and has pulled out of the Three Lions squad for October’s fixtures, joining Ben Chilwell, Luke Shaw, Reece James, Callum Wilson, Eberechi Eze and Tyrone Mings on the injury list.
Southgate elected not to call up a replacement for Saka – leaving Raheem Sterling out in the cold once again – but uncapped duo Levi Colwill and Eddie Nketiah have been included, while Jarrod Bowen and Ollie Watkins are back at St George’s Park owing to impressive starts to the Premier League season.
Bowen in particular could be eyeing a starting role as Southgate encases some of his more experienced troops in bubble wrap ahead of the Italy showdown, while Maguire, Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips continue to retain the manager’s trust to the bemusement of supporters.
Similarly, Middlesbrough head coach Arnold has also been forced into a squad alteration due to a foot injury to Middlesbrough midfielder Riley McGree, whose spot has been taken by Standard Liege lynchpin Aiden O’Neill.
However, McGree’s Boro teammate Tom Glover is one of three players searching for their first caps alongside Lewis Miller and Alessandro Circati, but Bailey Wright, Jamie MacLaren and Mathew Leckie represent other names who will play no part for the Socceroos this month.
Former Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Mathew Ryan – now on the books at AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands – will return to English shores to captain the visitors on Friday, while Ipswich Town’s Massimo Luongo is in line for some midfield minutes on the back of the Tractor Boys’ brilliant start to life back in the Championship.
England possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; Walker, Guehi, Maguire, Trippier; Alexander-Arnold, Rice; Foden, Bellingham, Maddison; Kane
Australia possible starting lineup:
Ryan; Strain, Souttar, Burgess, Behich; Baccus, Luongo; Boyle, Luongo, Mabil; Duke
Despite a sequence of largely negative friendly results over the past several months, Australia’s dogged World Cup displays means that England cannot afford to underestimate Arnold’s troops, especially if Southgate chooses to keep some big-hitters in reserve.
However, the Three Lions’ strength in depth should eventually come to the fore at Wembley, where a 12th successive friendly win is on the menu for Southgate’s side before the visit of the European champions.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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