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England vs Colombia betting tips:
- England to win & under 3.5 goals - 10/11 with Betway
- England to win to nil - 11/10 with Bet365
- Alessia Russo to score anytime - 9/5 with Unibet
England have been installed as the new favourites in the Women’s World Cup odds after the USA and Germany crashed out of the competition.
The Lionesses were also on the brink of an early exit, but they held their nerve to beat Nigeria on penalties in the Round of 16.
UK bookmakers are now offering 3/1 on England to lift the trophy, which leaves them ahead of Spain, Japan and France in the outright betting.
They must now navigate a tricky quarter-final clash with Colombia at Stadium Australia in Sydney on Saturday (11.30am, ITV1).
England will be without their star player, as Lauren James was sent off for stamping on an opponent during that tense victory over Nigeria on Monday.
However, they still have a lot of firepower within their ranks and they are best priced at just 8/15 with betting sites to beat Colombia.
Can the Lionesses advance to the semi-finals? We have analysed their chances below, and provided our top tips for this game.
Back England to grind out a hard-fought victory
England fired in 22 goals in just six games on the way to winning Euro 2022 last summer, so fans approached this tournament with a great deal of optimism.
However, the Lionesses have struggled to replicate that form Down Under as they are missing star forward Beth Mead.
They ground out a narrow 1-0 victory over an unheralded Haiti side in their opener, before battling to a 1-0 win against Denmark.
England exploded into life against China in their final group stage game, thrashing Shui Qingxia’s team 6-1, but that result looks like an anomaly.
The Lionesses struggled for fluency in attack once again when they faced Nigeria in the Round of 16 and they were outplayed for large portions of the game.
James’ late red card did not help their cause and they had to defend desperately during extra-time, before prevailing in the shootout. She has been their best player at this tournament, so her suspension will further diminish their attacking prowess.
They are unlikely to score too many goals against a Colombia side that have conceded just twice in four matches thus far at the tournament.
For that reason, combining an England win with under 3.5 goals in the game looks like an appealing option on football betting sites this weekend. That’s because all four of Colombia’s games have seen under 3.5 goals, and three of England’s four matches have gone under too.
Tip: England to win and under 3.5 goals - 10/11 with Betway
Can the defence rescue the Lionesses again?
England were dealt another blow when captain Leah Williamson was ruled out of this tournament with an injury.
However, they have remained very solid in defence, led by interim captain Millie Bright and Man City’s Alex Greenwood.
Manager Sarina Wiegman opted for a 4-3-3 formation for the first two games, but she changed it to a 3-4-1-2 formation against China and Nigeria.
That allowed James to play in the hole behind forwards Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp - to devastating effect against China, but less so against Nigeria.
She may now revert to a 4-3-3 approach against Colombia, as James is suspended and the Lionesses do not have a ready-made replacement in that role.
Either way, the defence will need to come to the fore again if England are to beat Colombia on Saturday.
The Colombians have only scored five times in four matches at this tournament and they have not yet faced such a solid defence.
If Bright and Greenwood can keep veteran striker Catalina Usme quiet, England should win this game to nil.
Time for Alessia Russo to deliver
Wiegman had to choose between Russo and Rachel Daly to lead the line for England at the Women’s World Cup.
Both strikers were in fine form in the WSL last season and they had both started up front for the Lionesses following Ellen White’s retirement.
She opted for Russo, while Daly was benched before being deployed on the left flank for the past few games.
Russo has only found the back of the net once so far, as she scored the opener in that heavy win against China.
It is now time for her to repay the manager’s faith by firing England into the semi-finals.
In the absence of James, the Lionesses may revert to playing with greater width and fire balls into the box for Russo to attack.
She has been quiet at this tournament, but she remains a prolific striker with great finishing ability.
The 9/5 odds with Unibet on her scoring at any stage in normal time in this contest look attractive.
Should you wish to take any of our betting advice on England vs Colombia, be sure to check out what free bets are available to claim before placing your stake.
Updated by
Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
