What's changed for Matildas and England since sliding doors moment that broke 11 million Australian hearts

It was a match that marked the end of a historic run for women's football in Australia, with just shy of half the nation's population tuning in to watch the Matildas face England in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup semi final.

That match had 11.15 million people in Australia on the edge of their seats at home, hopeful that the Matildas would secure a spot in the World Cup final.

A perfect goal from Sam Kerr in the 63rd minute fuelled hopes that a fairytale World Cup trophy could be secured on home soil, but England's Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo put an end to those hopes, nailing two late shots into the back of the net to claim a 3-1 victory.

READ MORE: 'Horrible' England slammed after 'embarrassing' defeat

READ MORE: 'Shame and guilt': Retiring star reveals gambling addiction

READ MORE: Piastri reveals 'major' change after losing championship lead

It was the first time an Australian football team had ever reached the semi finals in a major tournament, with the Socceroos' best result at a World Cup being the round of 16.

The Lionesses went on to fall short of the World Cup title that year, losing the final to Spain, but have since secured a second European Championship title to cap a wildly successful last four years. And now the Matildas are looking to get revenge on the English stars in an international friendly on rival turf.

The road to this battle has not been the easiest path for Australia, who have battled a long run without a permanent coach as well as losing several players to injury. Meanwhile, for England, the side is still riding the high of their recent Euros victory.

While it may seem like a promising sign for the England team, they too have not gone without their own changes to the squad due to retirement or injuries.

What's on the line for both teams?

There's no major title on the line for either team, but that doesn't mean the stakes are low, with Matildas players getting one of their final chances to push their case for a spot in the Asian Cup squad - their next major tournament to be hosted by Australia next March.

Only one more international window remains until coach Joe Montemurro selects his Australian squad for that tournament and their are plenty of selection headaches still to be worked out.

Several young guns are vying for positions in the starting line-up, while notable staples of the team like Mary Fowler are looking to make a full recovery from injury.

Of the next generation of stars that have worn the green and gold jersey in recent months, only Jamilla Rankin and Amy Sayer have been called up to face England.

It remains unclear if the pair will get game time on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, this international window marks the first outings for England since their Euros win, with the squad set to test their systems against a fresh opponent.

The Lionesses will not feature in another major tournament until the 2027 World Cup, but coach Sarina Weigman will be eager to get that journey right.

A tough 2-1 loss to 10-player Copa America champions Brazil on Sunday (Australian time) put the English on notice in their first match since the Euros. Brazil lost captain Angelina to a red card just 21 minutes into the match after she pulled Ella Toone to the ground.

However, England will also have a passionate and aggressive playing style to counter against the Matildas, who have a more high-tempo approach and will attempt to run the home team off their legs.

"We've come here to a home crowd with a European trophy in our hands," England midfielder Georgia Stanway told ITV after losing to Brazil.

"Today was a day we came to celebrate with them.

"We had a lot of chances second half, on another day they go in. We'll review this, build from it. We've got a lot of time."

Team changes: The World Cup to now

It is unlikely that many major changes will be made to the starting line-ups that were fielded in both sides' previous friendlies earlier this week.

But compared to the 2023 World Cup, there have been some big movements.

Australia: Just two players from the starting 11 fielded in the World Cup semi final won't be returning for the Matildas on Wednesday.

Mary Fowler, who had a breakout tournament in the green and gold at the women's World Cup, will watch on from the sidelines for the looming battle as she continues to recover from an ACL injury, while Clare Polkinghorne has retired.

As for the extended squad, six players have been replaced with the next generation.

Montemurro has also welcomed back several stars from that World Cup match to the team as they gain the tick of approval to return from injuries.

Sam Kerr was one of the biggest names on the list that was missing over the past two years from the team, but England will need to be wary of the power of Cortnee Vine, who has been out of the Australian team due to personal reasons.

SQUAD: Morgan Aquino [GK], Mackenzie Arnold [GK], Ellie Carpenter, Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Charlotte Grant, Winonah Heatley, Michelle Heyman, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Sam Kerr, Holly McNamara, Teagan Micah [GK], Courtney Nevin, Jamilla Rankin, Hayley Raso, Amy Sayer, Remy Siemsen, Kaitlyn Torpey, Emily van Egmond, Cortnee Vine, Clare Wheeler

England: It may be a new look for England's starting line-up compared to the 2023 team, but the power of Wiegman's English side cannot be underestimated.

The Dutch manager will never be forgotten in the English football history books, having become the first coach to lead the Lionesses to a major title at the 2022 UEFA Euros.

The Lionesses backed up their achievements at the most recent edition of the Euros, defeating reigning World Cup champions, Spain in a dramatic penalty shootout in the final.

England has lost several big names due to retirement over the past 12 months, including star goalkeeper Mary Earps and defender Millie Bright.

But the youthful core of their team, including Alessia Russo, Ella Toone and Alex Greenwood, has stood tall and stepped up to the challenge presented to them each time they take to the international stage.

One of the biggest absences for the England team is Leah Williamson, who has been ruled out due to an ACL injury. Lauren James (hamstring) and Lauren Hemp (ankle) are also cruel blows to the England squad.

SQUAD: Michelle Agyemang, Aggie Beever-Jones, Laura Blindkilde Brown, Missy Bo Kearns, Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Grace Fisk, Alex Greenwood, Hannah Hampton [GK], Taylor Hinds, Khiara Keating [GK], Chloe Kelly, Lucia Kendall, Maya Le Tissier, Beth Mead, Anna Moorhouse [GK], Esme Morgan, Jess Naz, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Alessia Russo, Keira Walsh, Lotte Wubben-Moy

Previous encounters

Australia has recorded two wins against England in the history of the women's game.

That may seem like a poor result, but the two teams have only faced each other six times.

The last time they battled was in the historic World Cup semi finals, although they last met for a friendly just four months before that match, which Australia won 2-0.

Australia's only other win against England came in 2011 and was the last game either team played before competing in the 2012 FIFA Women's World Cup in Japan.

The upcoming international friendly will kick off at 6am AEDT at Pride Park, Derby in England on Wednesday, October 29.