Pressure on Norway in play-off final - Wilkinson
Rhian Wilkinson says the pressure will be on Gemma Grainger's Norway in their Women's World Cup play-off final against Wales in December.
Key points
- Wales beat Albania 3-0 in Llanelli to win their World Cup play-off semi-final 4-0 on aggregate.
- Wales will face Norway, ranked 14th in the world, in the play-off final in December.
- Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson says the pressure will be on Norway and Wales can cause an upset.
Wales have reached the Women's World Cup play-off final after beating Albania 3-0 in Llanelli, sealing a 4-0 aggregate win in their semi-final. Mayzee Davies, Elise Hughes and Hannah Cain scored the goals.
Wales will now play Norway, ranked 14th in the world, over two legs in December. The first leg is at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, 1 December, with the return leg in Norway four days later.
Wilkinson on the pressure
Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson said the pressure will be on Gemma Grainger's Norway, calling Wales "a small nation" that fights for each other. She said the pressure on big nations is something Wales thrive on, and that Wales can "absolutely" cause an upset.
Wilkinson said the play-off final is the next game in front of Wales and that the team will not get too far ahead. She added that Wales have fantastic players who can go toe-to-toe with Norway.
The pressure is always on the big nations and that's something I think we thrive on
— Rhian Wilkinson
Norway's record and Wales' chances
Norway, the 1995 world champions, have reached every Women's World Cup since the tournament began in 1991. Wales are ranked 17 places below Norway by Fifa and have never beaten a top-20 ranked side in a competitive fixture.
Wilkinson said Wales' performance against Albania was a reversal of the first leg, praising Angharad James for leading an intense, strong display. She said the staff and players need rest and recovery before going again.
Wales may still need an inter-confederation play-off in February to reach next year's World Cup in Brazil, depending on other European play-off results. Wilkinson said the World Cup is off in the distance and Wales have a lot of work to do.
