The key stats from the World Cup ahead of the quarter-finals

By Sports Desk August 10, 2023

The eight remaining teams in the World Cup put their title ambitions on the line in the quarter-finals starting on Friday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the key statistics that could determine the games.

Spain v Netherlands

Friday, 2am (all times BST)

Seven of the eight group winners made the quarter-finals, with Spain the lone runners-up having beaten Group A table toppers Switzerland in the last 16.

Their 103 shots are the most in the tournament and they have allowed the fewest of the quarter-finalists with 21 – though they have conceded the most goals of any remaining team with five, including Laia Codina’s long-range own goal against the Swiss.

Expect to see both teams use width – Spain’s Teresa Abelleira has completed twice as many crosses as anyone else (20), with team-mate Ona Batlle the only other player in double figures (10), while the Dutch are top for attempted switches of play (41), comfortably ahead of France in second (24).

The game could be decided early, with the Netherlands ranking first for percentage of goals scored in the first half (73 per cent) and Spain second at 69 per cent.

Japan v Sweden

Friday, 8.30am

By contrast, there appears a chance of late drama with Sweden and Japan each scoring a tournament-high three goals after the 80th minute.

Japan are the top scorers with 14 goals, including five from Golden Boot pace-setter Hinata Miyazawa, and have conceded only one. The two teams have the best conversion rates of the quarter-finalists: Japan’s goals coming from 74 shots (19 per cent) and Sweden scoring nine from only 49 attempts (18 per cent).

Despite their all-action game, with a tournament-high 1,001 defensive pressures applied, Japan are the only team yet to receive a booking.

They will face the only remaining side with more World Cup finals experience than their 37 games, with Sweden having played 44 and perennial challengers the United States, Germany and Norway already eliminated.

Australia v France

Saturday, 8am

One team will defy their poor quarter-final record, with Australia losing on their three previous outings at this stage from 2007 to 2015 while France have won only one out of three, in 2011.

Indeed, Australia’s most recent goal in a quarter-final, against Sweden in 2011, was scored by current cricket international Ellyse Perry.

They will have to improve on their shooting accuracy of 32 per cent, with only 19 attempts on target out of 60 – though France have conceded four goals, most of them in a madcap 6-3 win over Panama.

Nine Australia players have started every game so far and six have played every minute, while France have only three constant starters and goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin is their only ever-present.

England v Colombia

Saturday, 11.30am

The two lowest-scoring quarter-finalists – despite England’s 6-1 win over China – meet in Saturday’s last game. The Lionesses have just eight goals overall and Colombia five.

England, semi-finalists at the last two World Cups, will face a team playing in the last eight for the first time.

England have completed over twice as many passes as their opponents, 2,248 to 1,073, with Alex Greenwood’s 389 leading all players in the tournament.

Lauren James’ red card against Nigeria is the only one for any quarter-finalist this summer.

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    Joselu, whose journeyman career has included spells at clubs such as Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hannover 96, Stoke City and Newcastle United, only touched the ball a few times in their 2-1 second-leg win, but it was a night he is likely to remember for a long time.

    He pounced on a rare mistake by Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer, stabbing the ball into the net to equalise for Madrid in the 88th minute, and just under three minutes later, he volleyed them into the lead from a cross by Antonio Rudiger.

    "I don't know anything about being a hero, but I'm very happy... You can imagine," he said. "It was incredible, something spectacular. This team never gives up, it's in its blood to fight to the end and that's what we've done.

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    On loan from second-division side Espanyol, Joselu's journey to becoming the semi-final hero has been long and winding in a career involving a dozen clubs across Europe.

    He began his career at Celta Vigo before being bought in 2009 by Madrid, where he excelled in their B team but rarely made it to the first team.

    He was sold to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in 2012 and then loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt before joining Hannover 96 in 2014.

    In 2015, he moved to Premier League side Stoke City, playing 27 times and scoring four goals, before spending two seasons at Newcastle United. He returned to Spain with Alaves, where he scored 36 times in three seasons.

    He signed as a free agent with Espanyol in the summer of 2022, and a year later was loaned to Madrid and has scored nine goals in 32 appearances this season in LaLiga.

    Joselu, born in Stuttgart, Germany, made his debut for Spain aged 33, coming off the bench against Norway to score twice in two minutes in March 2023.

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    With only 10 minutes plus stoppage time to make an impact, Joselu made his time on the pitch count.

    He scored with both his shots, becoming the oldest substitute to score a brace in a knockout game in the Champions League.

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