Manchester United Women will travel to Lewes Women on Sunday for their first appearance in the last eight of the FA Cup since the 2018-19 season.
The Championship side, meanwhile, are dreaming of causing an upset as they prepare for their first-ever FA Cup quarter-final.
Match preview
© Reuters
With Lewes currently occupying a mid-table position in the second tier, all their focus will be on Sunday's crucial quarter-final tie.
The Rooks have enjoyed a favourable run in the competition after beating three third-tier sides to book their place in the last eight.
A commanding 5-0 victory over London Bees was followed by a narrow 1-0 away win against Ipswich Town thanks to Emily Kraft's 76th-minute winner.
Lewes made light work of their fifth-round meeting with Cardiff City, as Ellie Mason racked up four goals in a memorable 6-1 victory to set up a quarter-final tie with Women's Super League giants Man United.
When the two sides met in the 2018-19 championship season, Lewes were beaten 2-0 at home and swept aside by a 5-0 scoreline in the away fixture, and although they have their work cut out on Sunday, they will be desperate to at least get on the scoresheet.
Man United's 12-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end last Sunday when they were beaten 1-0 by reigning WSL champions Chelsea.
The Red Devils went into the top-of-the-table clash in first place, but Sam Kerr's winner moved the Blues above Marc Skinner's side, who are now two points behind the league leaders, having played a game more than Chelsea.
Although Man United would be satisfied with a top-three finish, which would secure them a place in the Champions League, they will be desperate to end the season with some silverware.
After relinquishing top spot of the WSL, the FA Cup now presents their best chance to win a major trophy for the first time in the history of Man United's women's side.
The Red Devils have already beaten two Championship sides in the FA Cup this season, edging out Sunderland by a 2-1 scoreline before thrashing Durham 5-0 in the previous round, and they will be confident that they can record another victory over a second-tier outfit on Sunday.
- W
- W
- W
- L
- L
- W
- L
- W
- L
- W
- W
Team News
© Reuters
With Lewes expected to have minimal possession, Scott Booth may decide to implement a back five for Sunday's quarter-final.
Mason, Charlotte Wardlaw and Rachel Cleverly are set to operate in central defence, while Nat Johnson and Rebecca McKenna may be used as the two wing-backs.
Kraft and Emma Thompson will look to provide the goal threat, with the pair expected to feature in the front two.
As for Man United, January arrival Jayde Riviere is still awaiting her debut as she continues to build up her fitness, and Skinner has revealed that she could be available for next week's WSL meeting with West Ham United.
The visitors could make a couple of changes for Sunday's contest, with Lucia Garcia and Vilde Boe Risa both in contention for starting berths.
With a place in the semi-finals at stake, Skinner may avoid the temptation to rest Alessia Russo, who has scored nine goals in her 14 competitive appearances this season.
Lewes Women possible starting lineup:
Whitehouse; McKenna, Mason, Wardlaw, Cleverly, Johnson; Barton, Hazard, Stobbs; Kraft, Thompson
Manchester United Women possible starting lineup:
Earps; Batlle, Le Tissier, Turner, Blundell; Zelem, Ladd; Galton, Boe Risa, Garcia; Russo
We say: Lewes Women 0-4 Manchester United Women
Man United have already dispatched two Championship sides this season, and we think that they will have enough quality to claim a comfortable victory over Lewes.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Manchester United Women win with a probability of 67.95%. A draw had a probability of 19.1% and a win for Lewes Women had a probability of 12.96%.
The most likely scoreline for a Manchester United Women win was 0-2 with a probability of 11.99%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-1 (11.21%) and 1-2 (9.71%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (9.08%), while for a Lewes Women win it was 1-0 (4.25%). The actual scoreline of 1-3 was predicted with a 6.9% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole and our data analysis both correctly predicted that Manchester United Women would win this match.
