Five CommBank Matildas will be involved in two blockbuster WSL fixtures this weekend, matches that will have huge ramifications for the season and the title race.
Read our preview of all of the Matildas Abroad action below.
England
The first game of the round is a must-watch, with first-place Chelsea taking on second-place Manchester City on Saturday, 6.15am AEDT. A win for City by two or more goals would see them leapfrog the defending champions to the summit of the WSL table, while three points for Chelsea would secure a six-point gap between themselves and the chasing pack. Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy are expected to be involved for City, but likely from the bench – both face formidable competition for places.
First against second is followed by third against fourth, with Arsenal hosting Manchester United on Saturday, 11.30pm AEDT. This game is crucially important for United’s hopes of catching the Gunners in third and sneaking into a UEFA Women’s Champions League qualification spot. Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Caitlin Foord will be hoping that it will be Arsenal who secure three points instead, and keep pace with City and Chelsea ahead of them.
Brighton & Hove Albion face off against Liverpool on Sunday, 11pm AEDT. Recent positive results for West Ham and Everton have seen the Seagulls slip to eleventh place. Although still five points clear of Bristol City in the relegation zone, they’ll be hoping that a win here can shore up their position of safety. Charlie Rule is expected to still be unavailable for Brighton through injury, while it is unclear whether Teagan Micah will have recovered from her concussion to appear for Liverpool.
West Ham will be looking to continue their recent fine form when they travel to take on Everton on Monday, 12am AEDT. Katrina Gorry has been key to their two wins on the bounce – those six points accounting for more than half of their total for the season – while Mackenzie Arnold will continue to lead from the back as goalkeeper. Standing in their way is Clare Wheeler, who has been a regular starter for Everton in midfield this season.
Charli Grant’s Tottenham Hotspur will host Aston Villa on Monday, 1am AEDT. Villa have begun to recover after a less-than-ideal start to the season, while Spurs have continued ticking along after a faster-than-expected start. Grant is expected to start at right-back as she continues to grow into her role in English football.
Leicester City will feature in the final match of the round, taking on bottom-of-the-table Bristol City on Monday, 2am AEDT. West Ham’s recent form has left Bristol in an increasingly vulnerable position, five points adrift from safety. They’ll be sure to throw everything at the Foxes, as the opportunities to save their season get fewer. Remy Siemsen and Courtney Nevin will be among the players in their way, both Australians are available and hoping to play as many minutes as possible.
France
PSG begin the round by taking on 10th-place Guingamp on Sunday, 12.30am AEDT. They’ll be hoping to take the momentum from their draw with Lyon into the rest of the season to mount a title challenge, but still remain a massive ten points away from the summit. Clare Hunt has been a regular starter in the heart of defence and is expected to play a big role again this weekend.
Ellie Carpenter’s Lyon and Sarah Hunter’s Paris FC will not play this weekend after their midweek cup fixtures.
Spain
Real Madrid will host UD Tenerife on Monday, 2am AEDT. Tenerife will pose a stern challenge as a midtable side, but Madrid will go into the game as favourites. Hayley Raso has been in and out of the starting eleven this season and is expected to be involved in the fixture.
Sweden
Amy Sayer, Clare Polkinghorne and Kristianstads DFF continue their pre-season campaign on the weekend, taking on Danish side HB Köge on Saturday, 12am AEDT.