Australia manager Tony Gustavsson says he has identified critical weaknesses in the Republic of Ireland that his team plan to expose in their World Cup opener on Thursday night.
On the eve of a seismic clash, the Swede confidently declared he knows the XI he'll start with, what substitutions he'll make, and how to crack open Vera Pauw's disciplined unit.
"Not only do we know [our starting team] but we also know thoughts we have for game-changers and plan the 11 to finish the match," he said.
"We've had time to think what this game will look like. If you look at Ireland’s games lately against top teams, there’s no coincidence that have been really, really strong at the beginning of both the first and second halves. But also it's no coincide that they’ve conceded goals late in each half - especially when it comes to tactics and behaviours of one or two players that we’ve identified.
"We hope to strike against those tomorrow. I’m not going to say what but there’s a clear trend there we’ll target.
"Then, in terms of the roster, it’s all about the 90 minutes. I’ll say how important it is for this team to win games off the bench, like we did against France.
"It was scoreless and a player [Mary Fowler] came on to be the game-changer. The team that finishes is as important as the one that starts for us. In terms of fitness updates, I can’t reveal that at the moment. I know where we are but am keeping it close to my chest."
Gustavsson was joined by Matildas skipper Sam Kerr at the Accor Stadium, where the mouthwatering clash will take place [kick-off 11am irish time].
Chelsea's star striker didn't bite when asked about Ireland's defensive tendencies, but she also exuded a confident air while sharing her excitement at the prospect of playing in front of over 75,000 fans.
"It's about us tomorrow, we need to make sure we are on top of our game," she said.
"Obviously every team brings new challenges but if we can play our game we can adapt at what comes at us. We respect Ireland, they have had some good results lately but it’s about us tomorrow.
"I'm really exciting about playing in front of a packed stadium. But as a team, it’s going to go up and down, and just live in the moment.
"We spoke about it, it’s okay to feel nervous, because that is life, that’s football life. We can talk about it, it’s about being in the moment and supporting one another. Everyone is more looking forward to it and nervous about the crowd. It’s nice when they’re going to be cheering you on rather than booing you."
Perhaps Kerr is underestimating the size of the Irish contingent set to add a splash of green to the occasion, but there's no question Australia are heavy favourites.
They warmed up for this game with a 1-0 victory over France last Friday and undeniably look like a squad in very good nick.
"We spoke about it on the way here, it is unreal, that this is actually happening tomorrow after all the years of prepping, all the days of hard work, it is finally coming together in the next 24 hours," added Gustavsson.
"So a good night's sleep now and then off we go tomorrow. I can’t wait."
Watch Republic of Ireland v Australia in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player on Thursday at 11am, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to live commentary on 2fm
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