Westfield Matildas midfielder Aivi Luik believes Saturday morning’s (AEST) friendly against France is more than just about getting a positive result.
Just over eight months out from next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, Australia takes on the fourth-ranked French in Saint-Etienne in an intriguing match-up between two of the favourites at the 2019 tournament.
PREVIEW: Westfield Matildas v France
STAJCIC'S CHALLENGE: 'There's no better audition than playing two superpowers'
Alen Stajcic’s side will also take on another European powerhouse in England in another valuable hit-out for his squad.
While getting a win over a big nation like France and England would be a big psychological boost for the Westfield Matildas, Luik admitted to https://matildas.footballaustralia.com.au/ there are other goals to achieve in the matches.
“The goal is to always win the game, that’s a minimum expectation for me. But also to play our football both in and out of possession is very important in preparation for the World Cup,” said Luik, who plays for Levante UD in Spain.
“Because we not only want to keep those standards but make them better every time we play so that we’re at the top of our game when it comes to June next year.
“They’re friendly games but they are never friendly games.
“They are two big teams, [both] top 10 and we want to win both of them so we are doing all that we can to prepare for that both on and off the field.”
France v Westfield Matildas
Date: Friday, 5 October 2018 (local time)
Venue: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne, France
Kick-off: 9pm (local); 5am – Saturday, 6 October 2018 (AEST)
Tickets: https://billetterie.fff.fr/
Broadcast: Live on FOX SPORTS, SBS TV, and via the My Football Live App