Matildas vs Uzbekistan Preview

<p>The first leg of the Matildas two game showdown against Uzbekistan kicks off this Saturday.</p> <p>Our girls in green and gold will face Uzbekistan over two legs, home and away, with the winner securing a place at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.</p> <p>First up for the Aussies is the away fixture in Tashkent before the return leg in Melbourne on Wednesday.</p> <p>Can the Matildas qualify for their fifth straight Olympics? Or do the surprise packets of Asian qualifying Uzbekistan have one more shock up their sleeve?</p> <p>For the latest news, lineups, odds, predictions, and betting tips for this must win match, check out our Matildas vs Uzbekistan Preview below.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Matildas Predicted Lineup</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Matildas will be far from full strength when they take on Uzbekistan as neither Sam Kerr nor Cortnee Vine are available for selection.</p> <p>Vine withdrew from this lot of Olympic qualifiers for personal reasons, while superstar and team talisman Kerr tore her ACL at a Chelsea training camp.</p> <p>Young Western Sydney striker Sophie Harding has been handed a maiden call up to replace Vine, while veteran Michelle Heyman has earned a recall to the National setup after her stunning form for Canberra United this season.</p> <p>Heyman last donned the Green and Gold in 2018, actually retiring from international football at the time. However, her exploits this season in the A-League Women’s which sees her atop the goal scoring charts, coupled with the chance to play at the Olympics has seen her return to the world stage.</p> <p>It’s unlikely either will start the first leg but do expect to see them be called on from the pine at some point.</p> <p>Head coach Tony Gustavsson will probably opt to start with as many players as possible who turned out at the recent Women’s World Cup for this game.</p> <p><strong>Australia predicted lineup: </strong><em>Mackenzie Arnold (GK), Ellie Carpenter, Alanna Kennedy, Clare Hunt, Steph Catley (c), Hayley Raso, Katrina Gorry, Emily van Egmond, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Matildas vs Uzbekistan Match Preview</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>To say the Matildas are favourites ahead of this clash may be the understatement of the century.</p> <p>At the time of writing, Uzbekistan are a whopping 20.00 to win this match. All the odds and experts are pointing towards a heavy victory for the Aussies.</p> <p>Even without the services of Sam Kerr and Cortnee Vine who have been two of the Matildas best in recent times.</p> <p>The disparity in quality on the international stage in the women’s game is still quite great and thankfully football is something our girls excel at, putting them on the right side of this talent gap.</p> <p>While Uzbekistan have battled bravely to progress this far in qualifying, surely this is where their Olympic journey ends.</p> <p>You only have to look back less than six months to see the 8-0 loss they recorded to Korea DPR and the 7-0 one to China just days later.</p> <p>If the Tillies find an early goal and the floodgates open, a similar scoreline is not out of the realms of possibility.</p> <p><strong>Predictions:</strong> <em>Matildas 5-0 Uzbekistan.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Matildas vs Uzbekistan Betting Tips &amp; Predictions</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Head-to-Head (H2H)</h3> <p>At 1.02 (at the time of writing) the Matildas are the obvious and easy tip for the H2H market.</p> <p>If Uzbekistan were somehow able to win this one, then it would be the biggest sporting upset of the year and we’re only in February!</p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> <em>Matildas.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>First Goal</h3> <p>If the narrative is to play out as expected in this one, then there are a lot of potential candidates for the first goal market and yes, all of them are Aussie.</p> <p>With Sam Kerr sidelined, attacking dynamo Mary Fowler will most likely lead the line and is the best shout to open the scoring.</p> <p>Caitlin Foord also presents a very credible threat, as she should be the one rotating with Fowler in that no.9 role left vacant by Kerr.</p> <p>Midfield maestro Hayley Raso is the other appeal option. She showed her appetite for scoring important goals for the Green and Gold in last year’s World Cup and could add to her international tally here.</p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> <em>Mary Fowler.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Over/Under</h3> <p>When some of Uzbekistan’s recent results include seven and eight nil losses, over 2.5 goals starts to look mighty appealing.</p> <p>There’s little value to be had here, but an over of 2.5 goals could make a great leg of a Matildas themed multi.</p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> <em>Over 2.5 goals.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Matildas vs Uzbekistan Odds</h2>

<h2>Matildas vs Uzbekistan Match Details</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Location:</strong> Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Date:</strong> Saturday, February 24, 2024.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Kick off time:</strong> 8:00pm AEDT.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Looking to make a Matildas SGM? Check out our <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/punter-iq/guide/same-game-multi">What is a Same Game Multi</a> Punter IQ guide.&nbsp;</p>