The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is just days away, and we’re coming at you with previews of every group in the tournament, featuring odds from our friends at bet365. In anticipation of that opening match and each to follow, Canada Sports Betting will continue to spotlight each match day’s fixtures with daily previews!
In this preview, we’ll be focusing on Group D. The first Saturday of the 2023 Women’s World Cup will feature both opening matches from the group, with England vs. Haiti and Denmark vs. China.
England (FIFA World ranking 4) are the clear class of the group and one of the favourites to win it all (+450, behind only the USA and level with Spain). China (14) and Denmark (13) are former contenders looking to get back into the mix having fallen off as the women’s game evolved, while Haiti (53) are making their first appearance at this stage of the World Cup.
 | To Win Group | To Qualify | To Not Qualify |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | -3300 | -6600 | +2000 |
| Denmark | +1200 | -300 | +225 |
| China | +4000 | +200 | -275 |
| Haiti | +8000 | +5000 | -20000 |
Group D Team Previews
England
The Lionesses head to the World Cup as defending European Champions. A 2-1 win over Germany in extra time at the final of the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro on home soil saw them lift their first-ever major trophy. It was a statement of intent. This will be their fourth-straight appearance at the World Cup and sixth overall.
England fell at the semi-final stage of the last two editions. They finished third in 2015, losing 2-1 to Japan, but defeated the Germans 1-0 on a 108th-minute penalty in the third-place playoff. They then finished fourth in 2019, losing 2-1 to the USA in the semis and then to Sweden by the same scoreline in the playoff.
Sarina Wiegman’s side qualified for Australia/New Zealand by topping UEFA Group D, winning all 10 matches, scoring 80 goals and conceding none. Their aim is to follow up that European glory by lifting the World Cup.
England’s form since qualification had been strong, beating both the USA and Japan in friendlies last fall, winning all three matches at the 2023 Arnold Clark Cup in February, and defeating Brazil 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the UEFA-CONMEBOL Women’s Finalissima in April, but with a 2-0 loss to Australia at home and a pair of scoreless draws against Portugal and Canada this month they are winless in three.
Player to Watch: Keira Walsh
The 26-year-old central midfielder moved from Manchester City to Barcelona last fall, the most expensive transfer in women’s football history (reported to be €400,000) and promptly helped her new club lift the UEFA Champions League trophy this season.
A deep-lying playmaker with visionary passing, Walsh has been likened to some of the best midfielders to emerge from her adopted home.
While a number of the women who made themselves household names last summer are still involved – captain Millie Bright and right-back Lucy Bronze to name a few – England will be without four starters from that victory over Germany. Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, and Fran Kirby will all miss out through injury, while record goal-scorer Ellen White, as well as influential Jill Scott, have retired.
England to win Group D
Denmark
The Red and White return to the World Cup for the first time since 2007. Denmark appeared in four of the first five Women’s World Cups, but missed out on the next three. They reached the quarter-final stage in the first two editions, but failed to exit the group stage in their other two.
That 15-year wait has Lars Søndergaard’s side eager to make the most of this opportunity in 2023. They qualified for Australia/New Zealand atop UEFA Group E, winning all eight of their matches, outscoring their opponents 40-2.
Results have been mixed since. Losses at home to Australia (3-1) and away to the Netherlands (2-0), on either side of a 2-1 win away to Switzerland wrapped up 2022. Denmark lost their opening game 1-0 to France in the 2023 Tournoi de France, but followed that up with wins over Norway (2-0) & Uruguay (3-1) in February and won a pair of April friendlies 1-0 over Sweden and Japan before losing their only warm-up game 2-0 to Spain earlier this month.
That same Spanish side ended their hopes of advancing out of the group at UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, a feat they plan to make amends for this summer.
Player to Watch: Pernille Harder
Harder, who is fifth all-time for Demark with 141 appearances and holds the national record for international goals with 70, is considered the best female player to never appear at a World Cup, until now.
Captain of the side, the 30-year-old forward recently announced a move from Chelsea to German giants Bayern Munich. Harder, whose move from VfL Wolfsburg to Chelsea was once the world-record, scored three goals in qualification. She will be expected to lead the line for the side.
Injuries have forward Stine Larsen, who scored seven in qualification, and influential midfielder Sofie Junge Pedersen not available, but midfield pivot Karen Holmgaard and qualification top-scorer Signe Bruun will be involved.
Denmark have players at top European clubs throughout the squad, earning them the familiar mantle of dark horses this summer.
Denmark to Advance to Knockout Stage
China
The Steel Roses will be making their seventh appearance at the World Cup Finals this summer. China have never failed to get out of the group stage, but the returns have been diminishing as the rest of the world raised the level.
China hosted the first tournament in 1991, reaching the quarter-finals. They followed up with a fourth-place finish in 1995 as runners-up four years later, losing 5-4 in a shootout after a scoreless draw against the USA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California – a result that spawned that iconic Brandi Chastain moment.
Since those early glory days, China have twice more reached the quarter-finals, but progressed no further and even missed out on the 2011 World Cup in Germany.
Shui Qingxia’s side qualified for 2023 by defeating Vietnam 3-1 in the quarter-finals of the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. They would go on to tie Japan 2-2 in the semi-finals, advancing 4-3 on penalty kicks, before dispatching South Korea 3-2 in the final to lift their ninth such title, the first since 2006.
China went unbeaten through the EAFF E-1 Football Championship last summer, defeating Chinese Taipei and drawing South Korea and Japan, but through seven matches since then their only wins came in a pair of friendlies against Russia (1-0 and 2-1). They lost matches to Sweden and Spain in convincing fashion and also recorded draws with both the Republic of Ireland and Switzerland during that span.
Pitted against the English, the resurgent Danes, and a Haitian side just itching to make a name for themselves, China will be hard-pressed to maintain that perfect record of advancing from the group stage.
Player to Watch: Wang Shuang
The 28-year-old forward scored five goals in the 2022 Asian Cup en route to that title and will be counted on once more to provide offence for China.
She has 38 goals in 116 appearances for the national team and spent one season with Paris Saint-Germain (2018-19) in France before returning to Wuhan Jianghan University FC. Last summer, Wang moved abroad once more to Racing Louisville FC in the NWSL, but has found playing time limited in the USA.
China has plenty of experience and goals in their squad – 33-year-old captain Wang Shanshan (58 goals in 152 matches) for example – but only six members of the 23-deep squad play outside of their homeland.
China to Advance to Knockout Stage
Haiti
Les Grenadières arrive at this summer’s showcase as the feel-good story of the competition.
The nation’s recent troubles, since the devastating earthquake in 2010, are well-known. The sexual abuse scandals within the football federation, less so, but the women’s side qualifying for their first-ever major tournament is a beacon of hope in dark times.
Haiti’s only previous success was a CFU Women’s Caribbean Cup in 2000.
Even participation in the Concacaf W Championship has not always been assured. Aside from a fourth-place finish in 1991 as hosts, Haiti has never exited a group stage in five other appearances, and either did not qualify, or did not enter, another five editions.
Under Nicolas Delépine, who coaches both Haiti and the women’s club side Grenoble in France, a third-place in Group A of the 2022 competition last summer in Mexico was enough to earn a spot in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Held in New Zealand this February, Haiti was placed in Group B and first beat Senegal 4-0 in the semifinals to advance to face Chile in the final, where they won 2-1, securing a World Cup berth.
Since qualification, they have lost friendlies to Nigeria and South Korea, two teams that will be joining them in Australia/New Zealand, both by 2-1 scorelines, while defeating Moldova and Malta, 3-1 and 5-0, respectively.
The women have now repeated the feat the men achieved in 1974, when they made their first and only appearance at the Finals. A proud achievement for the nation; the side intends to not just participate, but to turn some heads.
Player to Watch: Melchie Dumornay
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder will be in the middle of that. Also known as Corventina, Dumornay recently made the move to French giants Lyon from Reims, where she scored 19 goals in 33 matches.
Listed at 5-foot-3, Dumornay has eight goals in 13 appearances for Haiti. She scored both of the goals against Chile that sent Haiti to the World Cup. She has the talent to be the breakout star of the competition and if Haiti are to advance from the group stage she will undoubtedly be involved.
The majority of the squad ply their trade in France, so there is no lack of experience with the modern game, but no player in the group has more than 25 appearances for Haiti. Forward Roselord Borgella, who has 20 goals in those 25 outings, is the senior most member of the squad at 30 years old.
With a handful of players in their mid-20s, the majority younger, including six teenagers, Haiti is one of the youngest sides at the World Cup.
Haiti to Advance to Knockout Stage
Group D Winner Odds
| To Win Group | To Qualify | To Not Qualify |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | -3300 | -6600 | +2000 |
| Denmark | +1200 | -300 | +225 |
| China | +4000 | +200 | -275 |
| Haiti | +8000 | +5000 | -20000 |
England should run away with this group, but the second qualifying spot is still up for grabs with Denmark and China likely to battle it out. The two nations will square off on Saturday, July 22, in what should be a pivotal match that will shape the qualifiers from this group.
Group D World Cup Winner Odds
England have the second-shortest odds to win the event behind the USA (+260) and are a legitimate threat to lift the trophy next month. Think twice before wagering on any of the other three nations in this group to win it all.
