SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia and England clash in the Women's World Cup semifinals on Wednesday in Sydney in the latest installment of a long-standing sporting rivalry between the countries.

Co-host Australia has the nation behind it for the first World Cup semifinal in its history and Stadium Australia will be heaving with an anticipated crowd of about 80,000.

Their heart-stopping penalty shootout win over France in the quarterfinals on Saturday was one of the
most-viewed television sporting events in Australia in almost two decades.

But England is the European champion and will be favored to reach the final of the World Cup for the first time, even if it faces down a hostile crowd.

It was put to England's Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman that she probably did not fully appreciate the enormity of a match between Australia and England.

"It's going be really big," she said with either Spain or Sweden facing the winner.

"But now I've had a couple of questions about that so it's probably going to be bigger than I imagined now."

"I'll talk to my players and staff and see what that rivalry is."

The storied sporting rivalry between Australia and England has already witnessed several episodes this year.

Australia won both the men's and women's Ashes cricket series. Australia's netball team then rubbed salt in English wounds by beating them in the recent World Cup final.