Spain, England renew rivalry with World Cup place up for grabs

MADRID, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Spain and England will renew their growing rivalry on Friday in a decisive qualifier that will determine which side seals direct passage to next summer's Women's World Cup and which is pushed into the playoffs.

England currently leads Group A3 with 12 points, three ahead of Spain, and with Iceland and Ukraine already out of contention, the two heavyweights are also level on goal difference.

With both almost certain to win their final group games on June 9, England at home to struggling Ukraine and Spain away to Iceland, Friday's meeting at Son Moix in Mallorca is crucial. Spain realistically needs to win to keep automatic qualification in its own hands.

England travels to Mallorca knowing that a win would guarantee a place at the World Cup, while even a draw would almost certainly be enough for direct qualification.

A victory for Spain would leave the two teams level on points and set up a tense final day in which scoring as many goals as possible could prove vital.

The two sides have become frequent rivals in recent years, with England beating Spain 2-1 in the quarterfinal of the 2022 European Championship, before Spain defeated the English 1-0 in the 2023 World Cup final.

Spain then beat England 2-1 last June to qualify for the semifinals of the UEFA Nations League, but England exacted quick revenge in a dramatic penalty shootout to lift last summer's European Championship. Lauren Hemp's early goal then gave England a 1-0 win at Wembley in April, in the first group game between the two sides.

A major question for Spain is whether Aitana Bonmati will be fit to play as she recovers from a broken leg, while Alexia Putellas and Vicky Lopez are expected to provide creativity in a team built largely around Barcelona's Champions League-winning core.

England will look to the magic of Lauren James and Lauren Hemp, while the defensive organization of Sarina Wiegman's side is also likely to be a major factor in deciding who gets a direct flight to Brazil and who has to take the long way round. Enditem