England Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman has previewed Saturday’s World Cup 2023 qualifier with Austria at the Stadium of Light this Saturday (KO 12:30pm).
Wiegman’s England have been in ruthless form in the opening four qualifying group matches, having scored 32 goals and not yet conceded. The Lionesses have secured 10-0 routs over Latvia and Luxembourg, alongside an 8-0 thrashing of North Macedonia and a 4-0 win against Northern Ireland at Wembley.
Austria – just behind England in the group and unbeaten themselves with three wins and a draw – are expected to provide the toughest test so far on Wearside, and Wiegman has given her assessment ahead of the contest.
“First of all, it’s great to be able to expose women’s international football all over England and to play here in Sunderland will be fantastic,” the Lionesses head coach said.
“The crowds in England can be, from my experience here, very energetic, and that’s what everyone is excited about.
“Hopefully we have a big crowd here who can get behind us as we look to claim another win.”
Wiegman – who has won the European Championships and reached a World Cup final during a four-year managerial spell with her home nation of the Netherlands – has insisted that her squad, despite several injury absences, are fully ready to go in SR5 and will be focused against a stern opponent.
“Preparations are going well, we’ve done what we’ve liked to do, and we feel confident and focused ahead of the game.
“Austria will be a difficult opponent to come up against, and we have to be at our best.
“It can be a special match for some of our players who come from here or have played here, and I as someone from the Netherlands have actually been learning from some of the girls about the history of the ground and other regions of the country where we play.”