The pressure is on England to put on a convincing display when they take on Congo in their round of 32 knockout clash on Wednesday evening in Atlanta.
England finished top of Group L unbeaten after a pair of victories against Croatia and Panama. They dropped points in a barren draw against another African side, Ghana, with plenty of questions arising over their unconvincing form.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have shown defensive solidity, yet they have often struggled to break down compact opponents – a challenge they are expected to face again against DR Congo.
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They take on a Congo side who finished as the highest-ranked third-place team after an impressive point against favorites Portugal, before beating Uzbekistan 3-1 in their final Group K game.
This will be Congo’s first ever knockout match at the World Cup, and they have quickly become one of Africa’s biggest hopes in the tournament after a resilient group stage performance.
Harry Kane’s goal in a 2-0 win against Panama made him England’s all-time top scorer at the World Cup with 11 goals. The England captain has also scored in two of his last three games against African opposition.
The Three Lions are undoubtedly favorites ahead of the match, but they need to be wary of a Congo side, who are looking to further cement their historic run with an upset here.
Can the Leopards stun the world by knocking England out of the tournament or will the Three Lions take a step closer to winning a first World Cup title since 1966 and only a second in their history?
Betway
Here is our predicted outcome for this potentially mouthwatering encounter.
What time does England vs Congo start?
The match kicks off at 7PM E.A.T at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium
England vs Congo team news
It will be interesting to see whether Tuchel succumbs to the pressure by making some changes to his attacking department, with concerns of a lack of goals being raised.
Kane will definitely lead the attacking line with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka set to retain his spot in the starting XI. Marcus Rashford may also get the nod here with Antony Gordon set to be relegated to the bench.
Jarrel Quansah limped off against Panama and with Reece James ruled out as well, Djed Spence will also start once again with the rest of the back line remaining the same.
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Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham got his first goal at this World Cup against Panama, and he will continue his role in the attacking midfield role for England.
Congo have a fully fit squad to choose from and are expected to field the same XI that started against Uzbekistan. Yoanne Wissa was instrumental with a brace, and he will lead the attacking line for the Leopards.
Veteran forward Cedric Bakambu will also start, as well as Nathanael Mbuku offering more attacking depth from the left flank. The rest of the side will remain unchanged.
England vs Congo head-to-head and current form
The Three Lions are unbeaten in their last five matches in all competitions, winning four of them and sharing the spoils in a barren draw against Ghana.
Congo have only managed one win in that run but will be reeling off their historic qualification for the knockout stages.
This will be the first ever competitive match between these two nations.
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Current form:
England – WDWWW
Congo – WLDLD
England vs Congo prediction
England have looked defensively solid, while DR Congo may struggle to create sustained pressure. Their organized defense and DR Congo’s cautious approach makes goals an attractive option for this game as well.
Despite being favorites, England must not underestimate the Leopards, who have shown that they can compete among the best.
Prediction – Both teams to score
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