England V Argentina: Kirsty Gallacher’s Pre-Match Brief Sheet For Tonight’s World Cup Game

Tonight’s game is an important one, not necessarily because Argentina is a tough side for England, but because the South American team is playing for much more a trophy. The lack of gender equality in women’s football in Argentina is huge, and the team has had to fight for funding just to get to the World Cup. Currently, they’re fighting for the right to be paid professional players in Argentina so they’re going out to every game with a lot to prove. A win against England? That would be a fairy-tale for them.

It’s with that in mind we can expect a very passionate game tonight (on BBC One at 8pm). Argentina, who are 37th in the World FIFA ranking, shockingly won a point in a goalless draw against Japan earlier this week, who were front-runner’s in this competition at 7th in the world. Argentina are going in confident, likely playing the same defensive tactic that stopped Japan from scoring on Monday.

That’s why it’s imperative England score early goals, they’re only two points ahead of a team that’s ranked 34 below them and so Phil Neville will want to throw everything at this game. They might be group leaders, but they need points to get out of the group and they need to play more convincingly than last week. While England won 2-1 against Scotland on Sunday, with a great first half, they flagged in the second half and must do better tonight.

That being said, I don’t think Argentina pose any real threat against England. They might be in a good position for their ranking, but as long as we can break down their defence – which we’re great at – and score some early goals, they’re not a worry for us. The England women will have seen Argentina draw against Japan, and likely be humbled by their origins – these are women that essentially kick a ball around on the street because of their lack of funding – so they’ll be well aware of how much this means to Argentina. They won’t be underestimating the side, but they’ll also be aware that the team is still only building, and we have a great historical record against them.

On paper it’s an easy win for England, but as is the beauty of football, anything can happen in this game.

Players to watch

Estefanía Banini

Captain of the Argentinian team, Banini is a very creative attacking player that will be looking to lead the team into scoring goals. She was a key player in the Japan game, putting their defence through the mill and has scored eight goals of her 16 appearances for Argentina in the past. Her skill on the pitch has been compared to world-renowned Lionel Messi, so she’s definitely one to look out for.

Sole Jaimes

A striker for Argentina, Jaimes also plays for the French team Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon). Her experience as a player in France will no doubt help the team here, as she knows the turf, the crowds and will already be very comfortable on the pitch. She’s scored six goals of her 13 appearances for Argentina, so we’re bound to see her fighting for more tonight.

What to expect

It will be a colourful game, for sure. The south American way of playing football is much freer than we’re used to, so it’s unlikely to be the same very structured game we’ve seen previously. There may be a bit of foul-play, which mean chances for penalties and free kicks. The Argentinian’s are going to really want this win, but they have to be careful not to step over the line and get into trouble. There will be a lot of passion, and since Argentina drew against Japan they’ll likely be very confident for this game and expect to be able to break England.

Score prediction

I'm going to say 3-0. I think England will convincingly win and there will be goals. If there is any foul-play and so chances for penalties, England will jump on it.

Do say

'England and Argentina aren't actually big rivals'

They might be in the men’s game, but the women have no historical rivalry, so there won’t be that intense atmosphere on the pitch that often plagues the men’s game. It’s a big misconception people pull over from watching men's football, but the women are yet to form their own feud.

Don’t say

'Estefanía Banini is the "female Messi"'

You might already know that the Argentina captain is known as the ‘female Messi’, but if you want to look like a real football geek you can let everyone know she actually despises that nickname. While she has called the comparison to the football legend ‘beautiful’, she hates always being compared to men in the game. ‘It would be nice to be known by our own names,’ she once told The Telegraph.

Click through to see the Women's World Cup kits Nike designed for each team this year...