England vs Senegal. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats, and more

England will meet with Senegal in the FIFA World Cup 2022 match at the Al Bayt Stadium. The fixture will take place on Monday, December 5, beginning at 00:30 IST.

The first team from Group B and the second team from quartet A will now meet in the 1/8 finals of the FIFA World Cup. Al Khor will see the ‘Big Cats’ derby, the first-ever clash between the Three Lions and the Teranga Lions. For England, it is the eighth match in World Cup history against a representative of Africa. The English have not lost any of their previous seven. The Senegalese are keen to break the streak and thus repeat their achievement of 20 years ago when they reached the quarter-finals of the Mundial.

The winner of this encounter will face the winner of France vs Poland match. That game will also be played on Sunday but will start earlier, at 7.30 pm.

Parimatchnews will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.

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England News & Current Form: 

England has just one World Cup trophy to their name. For 56 years, the England team has been waiting for a major worldwide breakthrough. The team won the 1966 home tournament. In 2014, the national team had its worst performance, going winless at the group stage and failing to make it out of the group. In 2018, the English team participated in the medal round. England lost to Croatia 1-2 in the semi-finals in extra time. In the third-place match, they lost to Belgium 0-2.

A hard-fought victory against Wales in the last group stage game only added to the excitement around Gareth Southgate as his team topped the WC group for the first time since 2006 without losing a single game. 

England had a solid qualifying round in Qatar and looked like one of the finest teams in the tournament in terms of quality of attacking performance. The team scored nine goals and kept their gate shut after the first game, having derived the right conclusions from the two goals conceded by Iran. 

Moreover, the nine goals they have scored are the second-highest number of goals in any World Cup final, including knockouts. England has the absolute best goal difference of all the teams participating in the Mundial, 9-2. 

It is worth highlighting that it was in the game against Welsh fellow countrymen that the English marked the 100th time at major tournaments on the globe.

Southgate is pleased with his team’s discipline and the fact that his players have coped with considerable fan pressure. Expectations are high for the upcoming game, as the Three Lions face a thoroughly approachable, but highly motivated and proud opponent. 

The Three Lions are fully prepared to compete with the other World Cup favorites and will look to make it through to the late rounds, which they can do with their high level of play.

The English have proved themselves in the group stage to be a real high-pressing machine. Southgate’s team forces their opponents to make mistakes and create a lot of dangerous chances. Key players in the attacking formation are midfielder Jude Bellingham (90% of assists in three group stage games) and striker Harry Kane (three assists – repeating the achievement of David Beckham). But the team captain has not scored once so far. The English attacking leader will probably try to fix his disappointing statistics in the playoffs.

Kane is brilliant in the new set-up, making room for the rapid Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford. The last one is the team’s top scorer with three goals. One of Rashford’s accurate strikes came from a penalty corner – the options for England to attack the opposition’s goal are endlessly varied.

At the same time, England’s defense was less than ideal – despite two scoreless games in the group, Jordan Pickford‘s goal scoring chances were numerous. So, the big question is which team will make fewer mistakes under pressure and take better chances.

Arsenal defender Ben White is on the bench for the upcoming game. He has a cold. His readiness for the match is unknown. He was not included in the squad for the game with Wales. He was featured in the squad for the rest of the games but did not appear on the pitch.

Senegal News & Current Form: 

This is the second time in history that the African team has qualified for the World Cup play-offs. It is noteworthy that in the previous one, at the 2002 World Cup, its current head coach, Aliu Cisse, was on the field with the captain’s armband. In Qatar, his team lost 0:2 to the Netherlands in equal match, then in a productive game (3:1) defeated the hosts of the championship, and the ticket to the 1/8 finals guaranteed in a meeting with the national team of Ecuador, which ended with the Senegalese team 2:1 in their favour.

Perhaps this African team can be called one of the discoveries because they made it to the play-offs even without their best player. The Teranga Lions truly surprised with their attacking pressure in the group. They had the most shots on goal and only Germany, Brazil, Argentina and France have surpassed them in this tournament.

The team has already reached a good level, managing to get out of such a tough group. The victory against Ecuador showed that the Senegalese will not let anyone win so easily, but the encounter with the Netherlands made it clear that the team is not yet mature enough for the top of world football. It will not be easy for the Africans to face such a solid opponent in the 1/8 finals, and you can’t really count on them making it to the quarterfinals.

That success made them the third team from Africa to qualify for the play-offs, and only the third country to qualify for the World Cup. There is a chance of becoming the first team in history to beat England in this competition. But the team’s scoring has been a real struggle. After all, only five goals in three rounds is not the most cheerful indicator.

The Senegalese national team is haunted by evil destiny. Before the World Cup star forward Sadio Mane from Bayern Munich was not included in the final squad because of injury, in the first match against the Netherlands got an injury (and has not yet recovered) one of the key players in the center of the field Cheikhou Kouyate, and in the meeting with Ecuador second in the tournament yellow card made the most experienced player (96 games in the national team) – midfielder Idrissa Gaye, not included in the 1/8 finals. But even with these losses, the reigning winners of the Africa Cup of Nations are a team that England will not be easy to beat.

Senegal’s strengths are their athleticism, allowing them to maintain a high tempo throughout the match, their focus on attacking (Aliou Cissé has repeatedly stressed in interviews that every attack must be logically completed) and their skilful use of standards. In addition, it is unclear for opponents from whom to expect a threat to their goal, with five goals scored by five different players in the group stage. Senegal’s vulnerability is in defense. The African players did not play a single clean sheet game: even the Qatari players were able to frustrate Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

These problems are obvious for England to take advantage of. Among European representatives, England still looks like one of the most balanced teams at the tournament. Therefore, it is difficult to believe that they will suddenly collapse in their first knock-out game. Southgate has begun to play more aggressively and they know that Senegal will put pressure on attack because they have no other real advantage.

England form guide: L-L-D-W-D-W

Senegal form guide: W-W-D-L-W-W

England vs Senegal Head-To-Head Record:

England and Senegal have never encountered each other in the game before. It is a great chance to see how the first meeting ever goes.

England vs Senegal Predicted XI:

England’s possible starting lineup (4-3-3): Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw, Rice, Henderson, Bellingham, Rashford, Kane, Foden.

Senegal’s possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Mendy, Sabaly, Koulibaly, Diallo, Jakobs, P. Gueye, N. Mendy, Ciss, Ndiaye, Dia, Sarr.

Statistical preview of the match England vs Senegal:

• England’s First XI average age 26.4 yrs.
• Senegal’s First XI average age 26.2 yrs.
• Team from Englans is ranked 5th in the FIFA ranking.
• Team from Senegal is ranked 18th  in the FIFA ranking.
• England are unbeaten in three World Cup matches.
• England are unbeaten in 7 of their 10 World Cup matches.
• England have won 6 of their 10 matches at the World Cup.
• England have scored 9 goals in 3 matches.
• 6 of England’s 10 matches have ended with three or more goals.
• Senegal are holding their third World Cup in history.
• Senegal have won 2 consecutive World Cup matches.
• Senegal are unbeaten in 7 of their 10 matches at the World Cup.
• Senegal have not won with a +1 advantage in 10 of their 11 matches at the World Cup.
• Senegal are without a draw in 7 matches.
• Senegal scored in 7 of 10 World Cup matches, in 6 matches 2 or more goals.
• Both teams have scored in 7 World Cup matches.

What has been said before the match:

Gareth Southgate, English coach, said:

“We will be considered favorites and Senegal the underdogs. But that doesn’t really mean anything in a one-off game”.

“It doesn’t mean there isn’t any pressure for Senegal because every international team has great pressure in their own nation and externally as well.”

“We have been very impressed with Senegal. We know they are African champions and are very proud and have great spirit and belief in their team”.

“They have some excellent individual players who can cause problems, but a good structure as well”.

Commenting on the absence of goals, Harry Kane said:

“I’d love to be sitting here with two or three goals by now. Going into the knockout stage, I feel really good. I feel as fit as I’m ever going to feel. Only time will tell. I can try and come into the best form with these knockout games”.

At the press conference, assistant coach Regis Bogaert, who replaced coach Cisse, said:

“He’s been sick for a few days. He let us take over the training yesterday, apparently with his instructions to the players/ I can confirm that he is ill and has a slight fever, so we have to be careful with his condition.” 

Bogart said about the upcoming match:

“We are feeling calm and confident. We know Senegal can beat England, that’s our target. Four years ago we went through that experience but the team has grown, we lost and won a final (Africa Cup of Nations) and the team is growing and more mature. Maturity is very important at the international level, African teams need to be ambitious and they are good enough to go head-to-head with anybody and we are capable of beating anybody. When we go out on the pitch we have to be aware of that. The more you play at top clubs around the world, the more you mature and become a top player and that’s what we are seeing now. The British are going to underestimate us and we’re going to surprise them, that’s what we’re seeing”.

Kalidou Koulibaly said:

“After Sadio Mane’s injury, two-thirds of the world probably thought we would not survive. But we are a close family and a team”.

England vs Senegal Prediction:

Gareth Southgate’s talent and impressive play-off experience at both the European Championships and the World Cup, coupled with an excellent selection of players, will finally put the African side in their place.

This game may see an abundance of attacking play from both sides, with Gareth Southgate set to field more classy players not only in defense, but also in attack. Moreover, Marcus Rashford, who became the first Manchester United player since Bobby Charlton to score three goals in a major tournament for England, has flourished and picked up his best form.

No sensation is likely to be expected in this clash. England have made a great run and are stronger than their opponents by any measure. 

Senegal, of course, will try to do their best. The Africans won two consecutive WC matches for the first time in history and made the play-offs for the second time in history. Senegal have conceded in every match in the group stage, while also actively going forward. The team is first in the group in terms of shots on target which is evidence of an attacking mindset. England occasionally had problems defensively when the opponents are stepping up the tempo and apply pressure. This will surely be instrumental to score at least one goal. But they are unlikely to prevail in the end and it will be the Europeans who emerge victorious from the clash.

England have shown at the group stage that they can play pragmatically to get the desired result. Moreover, there have been no problems in breaking open Iran’s and Wales’ stout defences. Three Lions’ class and experience will take their toll and they will go through.

Parimatch News staff prediction:

We say: England to progress further and both teams to score – Yes.

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