The Matildas will kick off their Olympics campaign against New Zealand on Wednesday night at the Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo.
Australia are yet to win a medal at the Games in women's football and were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Brazil in 2016.
New Zealand, meanwhile, couldn't escape the group stages five years ago and will be eager to show the progress they've made in recent years.
Both teams come into this clash on the back of pre-tournament friendly defeats with the Matildas losing 1-0 against Japan and the Football Ferns falling to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Great Britain.
Matildas vs New Zealand match details
| Game | How to watch | Date (AEST) | Time (AEST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia vs New Zealand | Channel Seven, 7Plus | Wednesday, July 21 | 9.30pm |
Ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony, all eyes are set to be on this game with a win vital for both sides.
Drawn alongside Sweden and the United States in a difficult Group G, neither team can afford to start the tournament on the wrong foot.
The Matildas have lost four of their past five games under new coach Tony Gustavsson but did beat New Zealand 2-0 the last time they met in early 2019.
Australia will enter the match as favourites considering they are currently ranked ninth in the world - 13 places higher than the Football Ferns.
How to watch the Matildas vs New Zealand in Australia
The Seven Network is the exclusive Australian broadcast rights holder of every event at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
This match will be broadcast on Seven's main channel and via its streaming site 7Plus.
7Plus can be downloaded as an app which works on a variety of Smart TV's, video game consoles and chromecast devices.
Matildas team news
Tony Gustavsson appears to have a fully-fit squad to choose from having recently added four more players to his original 18-strong squad.
| Player | Club | Position | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lydia Williams | Arsenal | Goalkeeper | 33 |
| Teagan Micah | IL Sandviken | Goalkeeper | 23 |
| Alanna Kennedy | Free Agent | Defender | 26 |
| Steph Catley | Arsenal | Defender | 27 |
| Clare Polkinghorne | Vittsjö GIK | Defender | 32 |
| Aivi Luik | Sevilla | Defender | 36 |
| Ellie Carpenter | Olympique Lyon | Defender | 21 |
| Emily van Egmond | West Ham | Midfielder | 27 |
| Tameka Yallop | West Ham | Midfielder | 30 |
| Elise Kellond-Knight | Hammarby | Midfielder | 30 |
| Chloe Logarzo | Kansas City | Midfielder | 26 |
| Kyra Cooney-Cross | Melbourne Victory | Midfielder | 19 |
| Sam Kerr | Chelsea | Forward | 27 |
| Hayley Raso | Everton | Forward | 26 |
| Caitlin Foord | Arsenal | Forward | 26 |
| Emily Gielnik | Brisbane Roar | Forward | 29 |
| Kyah Simon | PSV | Forward | 30 |
| Mary Fowler | Montepeller | Forward | 18 |
| Mackenzie Arnold | West Ham | Goalkeeper | 27 |
| Laura Brock | EA Guingamp | Defender | 31 |
| Courtney Nevin | Western Sydney Wanderers | Defender | 19 |
| Charlotte Grant | FC Rosengård | Defender | 19 |
New Zealand squad for the Tokyo Games
Goalkeepers: Erin Nayler, Anna Leat, Victoria Esson.
Defenders: CJ Bott, Claudia Bunge, Abby Erceg, Anna Green, Meikayla Moore, Ali Riley, Elizabeth Anton, Marisa van der Meer.
Midfielders: Katie Bowen, Olivia Chance, Daisy Cleverley, Betsy Hassett, Annalie Longo, Ria Percival, Emma Rolston.
Forwards: Gabi Rennie, Paige Satchell, Hannah Wilkinson, Michaela Robertson.
Betting odds for Matildas vs New Zealand
The Matildas are hot favourites to win the match at 1.25, while the drew is priced at 4.60.
New Zealand are outsiders to get the victory at 7.00.
Odds courtesy of Sportsbet.