EVERTON WOMEN VS. LIVERPOOL FC WOMEN

| Friday, March 24th |
FA Women’s Super League | Goodison Park
8:30PM GMT/3:30PM EST

The bi-annual Women’s Football Weekend has finally come around again, this time with all eyes on the return of the Merseyside Derby. With Liverpool finding their footing a little bit after a raft of injuries and unlucky matches, hopes are pinned on making up for the loss in the last round of this match up earlier in the season. While that was under the Anfield lights, the women will travel across Stanley Park this time to Goodison Park for a little more blue hospitality (or lack thereof).

The win against Tottenham last week will provide a much needed spur in their step, but Everton currently sit in sixth place and are no slouches either. The Blues will also be celebrating the 25th anniversary of one of their only trophies, reuniting the squad and staff of their 97/98 league winning team, which will no doubt fire up the fans of this historic rivalry.

With over 20,000 tickets sold, the derby sounds like one for the ages, with as many women as are able up for the challenge ahead. Vice captain Taylor Hinds told the club website on Wednesday: “It’s such a big game, isn’t it? We are excited and obviously after what happened the last time we played against them at Anfield, we are eager to try to put that right on Friday night.

“We will be going into it, as always, with a positive mindset and we are just going to work hard and show how we have been training, and how we have been playing, like our last performance against Tottenham.”

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Liverpool’s changed shape in the middle of the Tottenham match is what helped their victory, so it is likely that the Reds will go back to what they know on Friday night. Niamh Fahey, Natasha Dowie, and Mel Lawley are all still ruled out for the trip tomorrow night, but there is some good news in there as well. Shanice van de Sanden has been training and is available, while Leanne Kiernan is targeting the end of April for a return to match fitness.

Everton themselves have their own injury troubles, with goalkeeper Emily Ramsey sustaining an ankle injury during the last international break, and Karen Holmgaard still observing concussion protocols. Holmgaard was expected to train on Thursday but is still up in the air whether or not she’ll be ready for the clash the next day.

The latest meeting of the Merseyside Derby will surely do more to prove where the projects of the Merseyside Women’s teams stand, and both squads plan to put their flags down.

What the Managers Had to Say:

Matt Beard: “We know what we need to do on Friday night. The pressure will be reversed onto Everton playing at Goodison. We’re looking forward to the occasion and we’re looking forward to hopefully putting the wrongs of that night right on Friday.”

Brian Sorenson: “We’re really looking forward to it. We know Liverpool will be up for the fight and they’ll try to revenge what happened at Anfield. It’s going to be a big game with a big crowd under the lights on Friday night. I don’t think it gets much better.

“Both teams will be giving everything they have and putting their bodies on the line to get the win. We hope we can show our football and impose our style against them and get the win.”

Kickoff is set for 8:30PM GMT/3:30PM EST tomorrow. Stick with The Liverpool Offside team to keep yourself up to date with team news and match buildup, live updates, and post-match reaction. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account and have your say on the action as it happens.