World Cup 2022 news LIVE: England vs Wales build-up as Gareth Southgate hints at starting 11
England and Wales will face off on Tuesday evening with a place in the last 16 of World cup 2022 in Qatar at stake
England and Wales will do battle in a decisive World Cup 2022 Group B match on Tuesday evening with places in the knockout stages in Qatar up for grabs for both teams.
England’s path to the last 16 looks the much simpler of the two as they only need to avoid defeat by four or more goals against their British rivals to secure a place in the second round. The Three Lions will have their eyes on topping the group however, which they would achieve with victory over a side they haven’t lost to since 1984, while a draw would likely also be enough providing Iran don’t beat the United States.
Not everything is rosy in the England camp though, with Friday’s frustrating 0-0 draw with USA seeing the team come in for plenty of criticism. Boss Gareth Southgate has some selection headaches and is unlikely to name an unchanged starting 11 for the third game running after his team were overrun in midfield by the US. Southgate has also admitted he needs to manage the fitness of some of his players, saying: “We cannot roll out Jude Bellingham for 90 minutes every game. We’ve got to look after him and Jordan Henderson has been training really well. It wasn’t a gamble to play Harry Kane, either. He’s had a whack on his foot so there is a bit of discomfort when he’s striking the ball but we are not talking about taking any risk with him.”
Wales’ World Cup hopes are hanging by a thread after an opening 1-1 draw with USA was followed by a disheartening 2-0 defeat to Iran, where two late goals following Wayne Hennessey’s red card cost them dearly. To qualify for the last 16 at their first World Cup since 1958, Robert Page’s men - led by the talismanic Gareth Bale - need to beat England and hope for a draw between the US and Iran. Alternatively, an unlikely four-goal victory over their neighbours would also secure a place in the knockouts.
Follow all the build-up to the crunch England vs Wales clash with our lie blog below:
Harry Kane has eye on goal record
Meanwhile, England’s Harry Kane is yet to score at this World Cup and was off the pace in his team’s 0-0 draw with the United States after hurting his ankle in the previous game against Iran.
The Golden Boot winner from 2018 is just three goals away from overtaking Wayne Rooney’s total of 53 to become his nation’s all time leading scorer.
“He’s enjoying his football,” said Rashford. “But for any forward you want to be scoring goals. I’m sure if he keeps doing what he’s doing he’ll score.”
AP
Bale confident Wales can shock England
Gareth Bale insists Wales can upset England and provide another surprise in a World Cup of shock results.
Wales must beat England for the first time since 1984 on Tuesday to be in with a chance of making the knockout phase.
Even then, unless England are beaten by a four-goal margin, Wales need Iran and the United States to draw their final match to make the round of 16 in Qatar.
It is a tall order for a Wales side who have won only once in 10 games, but Bale says they can draw on respective underdog victories for Japan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia over Germany, Belgium and Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.
“There’s been a few shocks in the tournament already and there’s no reason why we can’t do the same,” the 33-year-old said.
Wales must win to give themselves hope
For Wales, the jeopardy is much higher.
Bottom of the group with one point from their first two matches, Wales must win to have any chance of reaching the round of 16 at its first World Cup since 1958.
“That’s the hurt at the moment,” said midfielder Joe Allen. “It’s a feeling of missed opportunity in the first two games.”
“Our focus now moves onto getting on the training pitch, putting in the work and preparing for the performance of our lives against England,” he added.
Wales will be looking for inspiration from Gareth Bale if they are to win against England for the first time since 1984.
The Los Angeles FC forward came into the tournament on the back of just one game since the start of October and has looked labored in his performances.
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England can look back for inspiration
If England need any added motivation ahead of its final World Cup group game against Wales on Tuesday, they only has to watch a certain video from 2016.
Footage of Wales players celebrating wildly as their UK neighbour crashed out of the European Championship after losing to Iceland went viral at the time.
England were humiliated. Wales, who lost 2-1 to the Three Lions in the group stage but went on to reach the semifinal, were jubilant.
Much has changed since then — a point England forward Marcus Rashford made ahead of the Group B match.
“I don’t think it takes a genius to see how we’ve improved since 2016. For me it feels like a completely different team. We’ve come on so much. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves along the way,” he said.
“Back in 2016, if you look at that performance when we got knocked out the Euros, it is a million miles off where we are now. You cannot really compare the two situations.”
That sentiment is backed up by England’s tournament performances over the last four years — reaching the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018 and the final of last year’s European Championship, which they lost on penalties to Italy.
England are among the favorites to triumph in Qatar and only need a point against Wales to guarantee qualification to the knockout stages. Depending on goal difference, England could still progress even if they lose that match.
AP
Betting odds
via William Hill:
Winners: * Brazil - 5/2 * France - 6/1 * Spain - 13/2 * Argentina - 15/2 * England - 15/2
Top goalscorer: * Kylian Mbappe (France) - 11/4 * Richarlison (Brazil) - 11/2 * Lionel Messi (Argentina) - 9/1 * Ferran Torres (Spain) - 14/1 * Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Ben White missing from England training
Ben White missed England training through illness on the eve of the World Cup clash with Wales.
Gareth Southgate’s men will progress to the knockout phase if they avoid a four-goal defeat against their neighbours in the Group B finale.
England centre-back White has yet to play a minute in Qatar and looks set to miss the Wales game having sat out training on Monday at the Al Wakrah Sports Complex.
The remaining 25 members of the squad trained in 30-degree heat, including James Maddison as he pushes to be involved following a knee complaint.
England manager Southgate will be joined by vice-captain Jordan Henderson later at the press conference previewing Tuesday’s match at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
Cameroon 3-3 Serbia
Serbia have got used to doing things the hard way on their road to Qatar. The Eagles came from behind three times on their journey to this World Cup, including a last-gasp, finals-sealing winner against Portugal in Lisbon back in November of last year. Now, after a rollercoaster 3-3 draw with Cameroon, they will have to go to the well again if they are to progress from Group G.
Fancied by many as a dark horse at this tournament, a two-goal second-half lead thrown away here at the Al Janoub Stadium could cost them dear as they look to make it to the last-16 for the first time this century, goals from Strahinja Pavlovic, Sergej Milinkovic Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic cancelled out by a furious Cameroonian comeback.
Report by Ben Burrows in Doha:
Cameroon score two quick-fire goals to claim point in thriller against Serbia
Cameroon 3-3 Serbia: Vincent Aboubakar’s introduction turned the game on its head as Aleksandar Mitrovic’s team squander two-goal lead
The World Cup that Qatar would prefer you ignore
It is one of regular moments of harsh reality that takes you out of the illusion that is this World Cup. As the taxi driver drops the group off, there is a sudden plea. It is not for a five-star rating.
“Can you give me a tip please,” he says. “I have no money to eat.”
The driver, of south Asian descent, sends almost everything he earns back to his family. This is supposed to be the long-awaited period when such workers can generate income due to the number of visitors to Qatar but here is another who is just starving.
Anyone who has been in Doha for the first week of this World Cup would have had many similar stories pass in front of their eyes. The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre said on Sunday that there had been six cases of migrant worker abuse reported in that time alone.
This is the side of the World Cup that Qatar would prefer you ignore, but that is unavoidable, given they are utterly essential to the running of this tournament.
This is the side of the World Cup that Qatar would prefer you ignore
To walk around Qatar is to be blinded by lights, deafened by sounds, but the football has not distracted away from the debate around the most controversial World Cup in history, writes Miguel Delaney
Southgate on Foden
“We are intending to be here as long as we can and he is a super player. We think the world of him and he is going to play a big part,” Southgate told ITV Sport.
“We love Phil. He’s a super player. He’s obviously been into the first game (v Iran). We decided not to put him into the second but he is going to play an important part in this tournament for us. There is no question about that.”
Gareth Southgate hints Phil Foden will start against Wales
Gareth Southgate insists Phil Foden has a big part to play in England’s World Cup campaign in a hint the Manchester City star could start against Wales on Tuesday night.
The Manchester City midfielder has played just 19 minutes of football in Qatar across England’s opening two games. He came off the bench in the opening 6-2 thrashing of Iran but was an unused substitute in Friday’s goalless stalemate with the USA.
There was widespread clamour for Foden to be introduced and Southgate was criticised for not utilising the 22-year-old as his side struggled to create chances at the Al Bayt Stadium.
‘He’s a super player’: Gareth Southgate hints Phil Foden will start against Wales
The Manchester City midfielder has played just 19 minutes of football in Qatar across England’s opening two games
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