Denmark takes on Asian Champions China at Perth Rectangular Stadium on Saturday in their return to the Women’s World Cup stage.
DEN-W vs CHI-W Match Details
Date: Saturday, 22 July 2023
Time: 17:30 (IST) / 22:00 (ACT)
Venue: Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth
DEN-W vs CHI-W Match Preview
After 16 years and missing three editions, Denmark will once again play in the Women’s World Cup and they will feel no less than a debutant with the squad having no tournament experience at all. This will be their fifth appearance overall. It is crazy to even know that captain Pernille Harder will be the first appearance in the finals despite being with the national team since 2009. She will be Dane’s main player on their return to the world stage showing a fine bit of form with her now ex-club Chelsea after recovering from an injury. Knowing they have to meet Asian Cup winners China, Euro winners England and snappy Haiti they need Harder to be at her best. Denmark qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup after topping their qualifying group having gone close several times in the past. The increase to 32 nations from this edition has certainly helped them. The Red and White now wish to stay longer in the contest and secure a place in the knockouts but they will face presumably a tough battle for the second spot considering England will win the group.
China will be their opponents in the group opener who are hoping for their own renaissance having won the Asian Cup last year. A record holder of that competition, the Steel Roses were not seen as favourites to win the silverware for a decline in their level from the past. The narrative is the same as most other nations around is women’s football is not taken seriously in the country. Yet, China manage to get their hands on the trophy beating South Korea in a dramatic final. Xiao Yuyi scored a last-minute winner in the 3-2 win at the showpiece although qualification to the Women’s World Cup was sealed by reaching the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup. The Steel Roses will have lasting memories of the 2019 edition in France where they came third in a group containing Germany. While that allowed them to reach the last -16 stage being one of the best sides in their rank, it was their lowest-ever finish in seven Women’s World Cup appearances. This time only top two can enter the knockouts after the competition was increased to 32 teams so it will be an uphill battle. Starting against Denmark in the direct battle for the second spot is a must-win matter for China.
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DEN-W: LWWWW
CHI-W: DLWWL
DEN-W vs CHI-W Predicted Lineups
DEN-W: Lene Christensen; Rikke Sevecke, Stine Ballisager, Katrine Veje, Sofie Svava; Josefine Hasbo, Karen Holmgaard, Kathrine Kuhl; Janni Thomsen, Pernille Harder, Nicoline Sorensen,
CHI-W: Huan Xu; Mengwen Li, Jiaxing Dou, Yao Wei, Qiaozhu Chen; Wang Shuang, Rui Zhang, Yao Lingwei, Linyan Zhang; Shanshan Wang, Jiahui Lou
Also check out Denmark Squad for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and China Squad for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023
DEN-W vs CHI-W Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Yamashita (8)
DEF: Thomsen (8.5), Veje (8.5), Wei (7.5) Svava (8)
MID: Shuang (9), Rui (8.5), Harder (9), Kuhl (8)
FW: Shanshan (9), Brunn (8)
Vice-captain: Wang Shuang
Captain: Pernille Harder
