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Kickoff is 19:00 GMT [7pm]
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??????? Wales XI: Ward; N.Williams, Mepham, Rodon, B.Davies; Allen, Ampadu, Ramsey; Bale, Moore, James
??????? England XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Bellingham, Rice, Henderson; Foden, Kane, Rashford
Captain Kalidou Koulibaly’s second-half strike earned Senegal a 2-1 win against Ecuador that sent the African team into the knockout phase of the World Cup for the second time on Tuesday.
Koulibaly fired home from a clearance in the 70th minute, three minutes after Moises Caicedo had cancelled out Ismaila Sarr’s first-half penalty, to put Senegal on six points in Group A, one behind the Netherlands who beat hosts Qatar 2-0.
Ecuador, who needed a draw to qualify for the last 16 for the second time after 2006, end up third on four points after a game played to the relentless beat of the Senegal fans’ drums.
Senegal, who reached the quarter-finals in 2002 in their previous visit of the knockout phase, will face the winners of Group B, which features England, Iran, the United States and Wales.
Cody Gakpo continued his prolific run with a third goal in as many games and Frenkie de Jong also scored as the Netherlands beat hosts Qatar 2-0 on Tuesday to finish top of World Cup Group A.
Gakpo’s powerful 26th-minute strike came after passes from Memphis Depay and Davy Klaassen, and De Jong was quickest to react in the 50th minute when Depay’s shot from point-blank range was well saved by Qatar goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham.
The Dutch, who finished on seven points, await the outcome of the Group B matches later on Tuesday to discover the identity of their last-16 opponents on Saturday.
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Kickoff is 15:00 GMT [3pm]
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The Netherlands will continue their World Cup campaign with their final group game against hosts Qatar on Tuesday.
The Netherlands have picked up one win and one draw from their first two games, and they will be looking to finish the group stages on a high with a win over a struggling Qatar side.
The Oranje were held to a 1-1 draw against Ecuador in their last group game, and Louis Van Gaal will demand an improvement from his players here. The Netherlands will be the firm favourites heading into this game, and they should be able to pick up all three points.
Meanwhile, Qatar have lost both group games comprehensively against Ecuador and Senegal. They managed to open their scoring account against Senegal in a 3-1 defeat, and the hosts will look to do better and grind out a result here. It will be interesting to see if they can step it up and get a point against the Netherlands.
Team News & Tactics
Netherlands
Louis van Gaal is unlikely to make too many changes to the side that was held to a draw against Ecuador. Andries Noppert is set to start in goal. The back three will comprise of Matthijs de Ligt, Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Ake.
Denzel Dumfries will start as the right-sided wing back and Daley Blind will be deployed in a similar role on the left flank. Both players will be expected to contribute to the offensive phase of the game and chip in with assists.
In the midfield, Steven Berghuis will be the defensive midfielder alongside Frenkie de Jong, who will look to control the tempo of the game. Davy Klaassen will start in the hole, behind the strikers. Steven Bergwijn and Cody Gakpo are expected to lead the line.
Memphis Depay is an injury concern, and he is unlikely to be risked.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Noppert; de Ligt, van Dijk, Ake; Dumfries, Berghuis, Frenkie de Jong, Blind; Klaassen; Bergwijn, Gakpo
Qatar
The hosts are likely to start with Meshaal Barsham in goal. The back three will comprise of Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi and Abdelkarim Hassan. Ismaeel Mohammad and Homam Ahmed will be deployed as the wing-backs. The two players were quite limited in the last game, and they will be expected to venture forward and support the attack here.
In the midfield, Abdulaziz Hatem will partner Karim Boudiaf and Hassan Al-Haydos. Almoez Ali will lead the line alongside Mohammed Muntari, who scored in the last game.
Probable Lineup: Barsham; Miguel, Khoukhi, Hassan; Mohammad, Hatem, Boudiaf, Al-Haydos, Ahmed; Ali, Muntari
Key Stats
The Netherlands have a 100% record against Asian teams in the World Cup, scoring 11 goals in four games.
The Netherlands have made it to the knockout stages every single time they have participated in the World Cup.
Qatar have conceded five goals in two games during the World Cup so far.
If they lose this game, Qatar will become the first host nation to lose all three group-stage games in the FIFA World Cup.
The Netherlands need a win or a draw to qualify for the last 16 for the 11th time in their history.A second half brace from a stunning Bruno Fernandes fired Portugal into the last 16 of the World Cup on Monday to join France and Brazil, after a 2-0 win that outclassed an uninspiring Uruguay given little chance to get into the match.
For a Portugal whose World Cup narrative has so far been crafted by the controversy and brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo, the night belonged to Fernandes, who shone throughout and always looked threatening.
His first goal set the tone of how the match would play out, with a 55th minute cross intended for Ronaldo that sailed fortuitously into the net, before a perfectly executed spot kick in stoppage time that guaranteed his side’s passage to the knockout stages with a match remaining.
Ronaldo had celebrated the first goal ecstatically as his own and smiled awkwardly as it was announced as belonging to Fernandes, who twice came close to completing a hat-trick in the dying moments.
The win was the third time at a World Cup that Portugal have won two successive group stage matches, and the previous two times led to streaks into the semi-finals.
Fernandes played down talk of his starring role and said his focus was the next match against South Korea and getting a perfect nine points for Portugal.
“What’s important is we were able to go on to the next round and very important was the win against a tough opponent,” he said.
“Our objective is to think match after match and we have to do our best because we obviously want to win all the matches.”
Uruguay, the dark horses in a succession of World Cups, looked nothing like the side that knocked Portugal out in the last 16 in Russia in 2018 and struggled to get into the match as the European side piled on pressure from the start and never relented.
Portugal had the lion’s share of the possession and pressed continuously but laboured in the final third and lacked clear-cut scoring chances until the second half, in a game where Uruguay were scrappy, off kilter and lacking initiative.
The result leaves Uruguay with a difficult final match against Ghana, who kept themselves in contention by beating South Korea 3-2 in the earlier Group H match.
Ronaldo had a few flashes of flair that drew loud roars from the Lusail stadium crowd, including a moment three minutes in when he used his shoulder to redirect a long throw into the path of William Carvalho, whose powerful volley sailed over the bar.
Portugal were dangerous on the approach and controlled both flanks, with Bernardo Silva, Fernandes and an industrious Joao Felix combining well and each frustrated in their efforts to put Portugal ahead.
Uruguay had a few chances, with the best coming on 32 minutes from Rodrigo Bentancur, who ran half the length of the field and skipped past three defenders before his low shot was stooped by advancing keeper Diogo Costa.
Portugal battled hard and finally broke the deadlock nine minutes after the break when Fernandes’ cross floated past Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, who was rooted to his line as Ronaldo rose to head home ball but fell short.
Uruguay rallied to try to get back into the match around the hour mark after coach Diego Alonso made a raft of substitutions to shake up his attack, with Facundo Pellistri making an instant impact, Luis Suarez coming close and Maxi Gomez blasting his shot into the post.
But the fightback was shortlived, with Portugal quickly regaining control and winning a penalty at the end after a handball in the box that required a VAR review.
Fernandes coolly converted his penalty in stoppage time and scrambled to get a third, with his effort saved at the near post by Rochet and a strike in the dying seconds that cannoned agonisingly off the post.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos commended his team’s professionalism in a performance he described as brilliant.
“We clearly showed we are a very strong unit, both in the quality of the game and in the bond between them,” Santos said.
“That’s how positive things are achieved. We will always work like this.”
@Reuters
Wales are facing a daunting task as they face England in a must-win clash on Tuesday at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.
In the battle of the two British nations, only a winner will prevail and Wales will try to be in the winning zone when they face arch-rivals England on this bigger stage.
Gareth Bale and Co are on the brink of an early World Cup exit unless they turn it around, which has been the case in this tournament as comparatively small teams have been the surprising element in this edition.
Knowing only a win could rescue their situation the Welsh are expected to go all guns blazing from the very first moment. Their 64-year-old wait to appear in the World Cup finals cannot just evaporate like this and there could be a very exciting finale on the cards.
England announced their arrival on the big stage with a stupendous win over Iran but failed to get past the United States of America in the following match. A draw would do for them to qualify for the next round but the Three Lions would be keen to finish the group stage on a high.
If the other match ends as a stalemate, England still will go through unless they are facing some serious backlash as Wales can still qualify if they beat their British rivals by four goals.
England’s pre-World Cup form hadn’t been that encouraging but they managed to douse the fire as of now. But they cannot afford to bear complacency anywhere near their side as it could be the reason for their downfall.
England are very much in contention to get through to the knockouts but this tournament has already sprung so many surprises and another one could be in the offing.
Team News and Tactics
Wales
Wayne Hennessey will be serving a suspension following his red card against Iran and Danny Ward will take his place. Joe Rodon, Chris Mepham and Ben Davies will be facing a monumental task to keep the England attackers at bay.
Connor Roberts and Neco Williams will be supplementing the attack from their right and left wingback positions respectively. Aaron Ramsey and Ethan Ampadu will shore up the midfield as they will try to override the likes of Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.
Daniel James will take his position on the right wing while the veteran Gareth Bale will line up on the left. Kieffer Moore will try to make his presence felt up front.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Ward; Mepham, Rodon, Davies; Roberts, Ramsey, Ampadu, Williams; James, Moore, Bale
England
Jordan Pickford will be in the England goal once again. John Stones and Harry Maguire have shown their astute understanding in the heart of the defence and they will be up against a very spirited Wales side.
Despite Kyle Walker getting back his match fitness Kieran Trippier should get the nod on the right side of the defence while Luke Shaw should continue on the left.
Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham will be gearing up for a tough battle in the middle of the pitch.
Bukayo Saka will make way for Phil Foden who will get his first start in the World Cup. Raheem Sterling will appear on the left wing while Mason Mount will be the most advanced midfielder.
Harry Kane will lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Rice, Bellingham; Sterling, Mount, Foden; Kane
Key Stats
England have had pretty one-sided results as they are on a six-match winning run against the Welsh.
In the past, there have been only two occasions in the World Cup where the Three Lions lost their last group-stage game.
England’s stalemate with the USA was their 12th goalless draw in the World Cup.
Wales are currently winless in their last seven games in all competitions.
Really, what’s the most passes in a row that then lead to a goal in all of pro football, especially in national team competitions?
On Monday afternoon, Ghana defeated South Korea 3-2 in the second group game at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana made 31 passes in a row and then scored through midfielder Mohammed Kudus.
Certainly there are times when teams string a ton of passes together, but it doesn’t lead to a goal right away.
It will be recalled that Manchester City made 52 passes and then scored. That’s probably the best record in club football. Man City will pass 44 times together another time too.
Watch the Ghana situation.
Iran and USA will face off in a crucial Group B clash, with both teams in with a chance to qualify for the Round of 16.
Iran performed sensationally against Wales, winning the clash late on the day. Roozbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian’s goals at the death buried the Dragons and kept Carlos Queiroz’s men in the hunt for qualification. With that victory, Iran went second in the group behind England.
The result also meant Iran could squash the tag of whipping boys in a group where the general expectation was around them failing right from the start. However, Queiroz has his men with a fighting chance to progress, and a positive result against the USA would do them good.
A win would guarantee them safe passage into the next round at the expense of the USA and Wales. However, if the Dragons beat England, there could be more twists in the group, and Iran would incredibly go through as winners.
Meanwhile, the USA will come into this game high on confidence after a terrific performance against England. The Three Lions were the favourites, but the USMNT performed admirably to have the upper hand. Christian Pulisic’s MOTM-worthy performance proved tricky for Gareth Southgate’s men.
USA still have a task and will have to beat Iran to qualify for the next round. If they do go through, Gregg Berhalter’s side will meet one of Senegal, Netherlands or Ecuador and could become one of this World Cup’s disruptive sides.
Team News & Tactics
Iran
The victory over Wales did come at a high cost for Carlos Queiroz. Star striker Sardar Azmoun, who struggled during his time on the pitch, somehow laboured for 68 minutes before being substituted. He will remain doubtful about the clash, but there is optimism over his inclusion.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh will undoubtedly miss the USA clash due to a suspension. He picked up his second yellow of the tournament and will sit out what he hopes is not the last game for Iran in Qatar.
Goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, who sat out the Wales victory due to the concussion protocol, is available again. However, since Hossein Hosseini kept a clean sheet, it is doubtful whether Queiroz will make the change.
Other than that, the team will look similar to the one that faced Wales to secure another positive result. Most importantly, Queiroz will hope for Azmoun’s fitness ahead of the USA game, as the striker seems likely to start.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): H Hosseini; Rezaeian, M Hosseini, Pouraliganji, Mohammadi; Ali Gholizadeh, Nourollahi, Ezatolahi, Hajsafi; Taremi, Azmoun
USA
Gregg Berhalter will be under pressure to pick the right team to face Iran. While they might come into the game as favourites, the USA manager will be tasked with getting things right.
The main decision would focus on naming a starting striker, something Berhalter has been inconsistent about since the tournament. Haji Wright replaced Josh Sargent in the position for the England game and performed well, and the manager might retain the former for the Iran clash.
Meanwhile, there are concerns over Giovanni Reyna’s lack of minutes at the tournament, but Berhalter is unlikely to usher the Dortmund attacker now. The team are in a good run of form and confidence, and the manager will want to maintain everything now.
Similarly, Brenden Aaronson is also not starting games, with Berhalter preferring their midfield trio of Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie, something he would continue deploying.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Turner; Dest, Zimmerman, Ream, Robinson; Adams, Musah, McKennie; Pulisic, Weah, Wright
Key Stats
The USA have only one victory in their last six international games across all competitions.
The USA are winless in this edition of the World Cup, drawing both their opening games.
The USA and Iran last met in the 1998 World Cup, with the Asian side securing a famous victory over their adversaries.
Iran have won three of their last six games across all competitions.
A win would see Iran qualify for the knockout stages for the first time.Ecuador and Senegal will face each other at the Al Rayyan Stadium on Tuesday, with everything to play for in Group A despite hosts Qatar’s early exit.
Ecuador, who play Senegal next, were not among the leading candidates or even the dark horses prior to the tournament. But they have served strong notice that they are a threat to the establishment with an excellent performance against a strong European side in the Netherlands.
They not only more than held their own against a much superior opponent on paper but made life hell for the Oranje with relentless pressing, pace, speed, and trickery. An exciting team packed full of youth and exuberance, Ecuador are emerging as the surprise packages of this tournament.
It would be premature to say that Ecuador could buck the trend set by the powerhouses, go the whole hog, and win the tournament at this point. However, they have shown quality in their opening two matches, which suggests they could yet make a deep run in the tournament. But first, they must qualify for the next round, for which they need to avoid a defeat here against tricky African opponents in Senegal.
As for Aliou Cisse’s Senegal, the instructions are simple and pretty straightforward: barring minnow host nation Qatar, who have already been knocked out of the World Cup, pulling off a massive giant-killing against the Netherlands, Senegal need to win this match to make it to the Round of 16. The 2021 AFCON winners sit third in Group A at the moment with three points from two matches.
The Lions of Teranga put up a very respectable fight against the Netherlands on the opening matchday. It was a tightly contested encounter that appeared to be heading for a draw until the Africans were undone by two late goals from Cody Gakpo and Davy Klaassen.
Nonetheless, Aliou Cisse managed to draw plently of positives from his team’s performance and motivated them to bounce back in his post-match conference. Senegal respond to their manager and followed it up with a 3-1 victory over Qatar on Friday. However, the scoreline was a flattering one as the game was not as plain sailing as the result might suggest.
Qatar put Senegal under the cosh and pinned them at times and may feel robbed when they did not get a penalty at 0-0, which if converted would have changed the whole complexion of the game and quite possibly the group dynamics. Still, Aliou Cisse’s side were the better side overall and got the job done against Qatar to stay alive in the group. They now have a much more difficult task against an in-form Ecuador side.
Team News & Tactics
Ecuador
Ecuador are sweating over the fitness of talismanic striker and skipper Enner Valencia, who was carried off on a stretcher late in the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands.
However, subsequent media reports have suggested that he will be fit in time to start in Ecuador’s Group A finale against Senegal despite an injury scare last time out. If correct, that will be a huge boost for manager Gustavo Alfaro, who is likely to retain the same playing XI that took to the field against the Netherlands last time out.
La Tri are a well-balanced team, and they showed they are comfortable in possession in the 1-1 draw with the Netherlands. However, their main threat comes from marauding wing-backs Eduar Ayrton Preciado and Pervis Estupinan, with the latter frequently acting as a crossing wide-man who also skirts around the edge of the box, waiting in the wings to use the lethal strike in his left foot.
The Brighton & Hove Albion wing-back is also a threat from set-pieces and is a real handful to deal with for the opposing defender thanks to his gifted turn of pace, and canny skills. His Seagulls’ teammate Moises Caicedo is also very crucial, as he protects the backline alongside Edison Mendez in the midfield double pivot and also initiates a suffocating midfield press.
Ecuador are also capable of defending well and are clearly very organised. In fact, they have faced just seven shots in their two group games so far, with Cody Gakpo’s early goal in their second game being the only one that has been on target.
They not only look defensively strong but have decent quality up front, with highly-rated Gonzalo Plata, a recent target for Newcastle United, starting alongside Valencia as one of the two inside wingers/auxiliary strikers. Michael Estrada will be assigned to the line in a 3-4-2-1 setup. Should Valencia miss out due to a lack of match fitness, another Brighton star, Jeremy Sarmiento, could start in his place.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Galindez; Porozo, Torres, Hincapie; Preciado, Mendez, Caicedo, Estupinan; Plata, Valencia; Estrada
Senegal
Senegal boss Aliou Cisse has a more or less fully-fit squad to pick from, with no fresh injury concerns heading into their final group A match against Ecuador. Although Senegal scored three goals in their previous match, they struggled to create clear-cut chances against one of the tournament’s lowest-ranked teams.
Qatar are a team severely lacking in quality and, in all honesty, look out of place amongst the elites on the biggest stage. Given the gulf in quality between the two, the Lions of Teranga should have easily crushed them. But that was not the case as they looked to be on the edge at times.
A lack of guile, killer instincts and creativity in the final third remains a real cause for concern for this side, as they are quite clearly missing their talisman, Sadio Mane. Nonetheless, Senegal showed signs of promise in their opening two games and will look to step up their game here in a win-or-go-home scenario.
Cisse will set his side up in a 4-4-2 formation and is likely to name the same starting XI from the last game. Edouard Mendy kept his No. 1 spot against Qatar despite a calamitous outing in the defeat to the Netherlands.
The 30-year-old, who faces an uncertain future at Chelsea, repaid his manager’s faith in him by producing a big performance in testing circumstances. Mendy came up with huge saves time and time again to keep the Middle East outfit at bay and keep his country’s World Cup hopes alive.
Captain Kalidou Koulibaly will resume his defensive partnership with Amad Diallo at the heart of Senegal’s defence as they try to keep their first clean sheet at the World Cup. Youssouf Sabaly will once again fill in at right-back, while Ismail Jakobs hopes to put in a tireless shift at left-back.
Nampalys Mendy and Idrissa Gana Gueye will form the defensive pivot in the middle of the park, flanked by pacy wide-forwards in Ismaila Sarr and Krepin Diatta, both of whom will be tasked to put their pace to good use and stretch the flanks. Boulaye Dia and Famara Diedhiou will lead the line for the Senegal national team in the final third, with Bamba Dieng as another potent goal-scoring option on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Mendy; Sabaly, Koulibaly, Diallo, Jakobs; Sarr, Mendy, Gueye, Diatta; Dia, Diedhiou
Key Stats
Ecuador and Senegal will be meeting for just the third time in their history, with Senegal winning both previous friendly meetings in May 2002 and December 2005.
Ecuador have never faced an African team at the FIFA World Cup, while Senegal are without a win in their two games against South American opposition.
Ecuador will qualify for the World Cup knockout rounds for the second time in their history provided they avoid a loss here, having done so in 2006. It would also be the first time they have gone undefeated through the entire group stage.
Enner Valencia has scored each of Ecuador’s last six goals at the World Cup.
Senegal claimed a 3-1 victory against Qatar in their last World Cup outing and are looking for back-to-back wins in the competition for the first time.