England vs Australia Predictions

• England boss Gareth Southgate has indicated he will field some fringe players against Australia.
• The Socceroos have scored in nine of their last 10 games.
• England have won their last 11 friendly fixtures.

Socceroos assignment for England

England face Australia in a friendly on Friday before a key Euro 2024 Group C qualifier against Italy on Tuesday.

It is probably fair to say this is a bigger occasion for the visitors than it is for the Three Lions, and boss Gareth Southgate has indicated he will use this friendly to experiment with his squad.

That means uncapped pair Levi Colwill and Eddie Nketiah should be involved, with Jarrod Bowen, Ollie Watkins and Fikayo Tomori also expected to feature.

Australia shouldn’t be overlooked

England are the clear favourites to win and they should be expected to claim a win given their post-World Cup record and their strong run in friendly games. Southgate’s side have won five of their six games since last year’s competition in Qatar, with one draw, and have won their last 11 friendly games.

However, Australia will be keen to make an impact and they can make this friendly a competitive affair. The Socceroos gave eventual champions Argentina a test in the World Cup knockout stages and have scored in nine of their last 10 games, including in games against the South American giants and France. England have conceded in their last two games and with Southgate likely to make changes to his defence, backing the hosts to win and both teams to score appeals.

England will have a few attackers looking to impress so they may be able to grab a few goals, and a 3-1 win for the hosts looks a reasonable correct score prediction.

Watkins has two goals in seven England games and comes into this international double header in good form after hitting seven goals across all competitions for Aston Villa this season. Watkins looks a good anytime goal contender, and James Maddison is another option after a strong start to the campaign with new club Tottenham.

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