World Cup 2022 

Round of 16, Match 4- ENG vs SEN

Preview 

On Sunday, England and Senegal will face off for a place in the World Cup quarterfinals at Al Bayt Stadium in Doha.

Following Gareth Southgate's side's victory against Wales in Group B, the Three Lions will face the Lions of Teranga in a first-ever clash. The Lions of Teranga advanced to the knockout rounds thanks to a critical intervention from their captain.

England's second-half performance in Tuesday's last group encounter saw them not only sweep aside their Welsh neighbours, but also advance to the last 16 of Qatar 2022 as Group B champions.

They scored twice in 98 seconds at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, with Marcus Rashford breaking the deadlock with a 50th-minute free kick and Phil Foden scoring shortly after. Rashford delivered the finishing flourish with a third goal, his country's 100th World Cup goal.

Following an unimpressive performance in their previous draw with the United States, the Three Lions more closely resembled the team that tore savagely into Iran last week, and such offensive desire has reinforced their potential to equal prior big finals campaigns.

They reached the World Cup's last four in 2018 before falling just short on home soil at last year's Euros, so they definitely have a track record to back up their ambitions of earning their first global trophy since 1966.

England are yet to lose in 20 meetings against African opponents, and will undoubtedly start as favourites to progress against Group A runners-up Senegal in Al Khor on Sunday.

Their quest for an elusive second World Cup began in the aftermath of a disastrous run of results through 2022, during which they were relegated from the top tier of UEFA's Nations League, but a return to form for Manchester United pair of Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire has helped build momentum behind their Qatari campaign.

Despite their near misses, England has gained enough tournament experience in recent years and will enter their last-16 match with confidence.

Senegal, meanwhile, should not be lacking in that most valuable of commodities, having arrived in the Middle East as African champions and negotiating safe passage to the knockout stages for just the second time.

They beat Ecuador in a winner-takes-all match thanks to captain Kalidou Koulibaly's 70th-minute goal at Khalifa International Stadium on Tuesday.

After Ismaila Sarr's first-half penalty was equalised by their South American opponents, the centre-back's controlled volley was necessary, and Aliou Cisse's side eventually backed up a routine victory against Qatar. The latter outcome followed a defeat to the Netherlands in their first meeting.

Cisse, assisted by El Hadji Diouf, another hero of Senegal's great 2002 campaign, now hopes to lead his country into the quarter-finals, perhaps setting up an emotional rematch with France, whom they defeated in the championships' first game almost 20 years ago.

The former Birmingham City midfielder is missing star Sadio Mane in Qatar, but since his hiring in 2015, he has cultivated a passionate and tactically astute side, the majority of which hoisted their first Africa Cup of Nations championship in February, after winning the final on penalties.

While African nations have lost eight of nine World Cup knockout matches against European opponents to date – the only exception being a Senegalese victory over Sweden – the Lions of Teranga may have a significant advantage over their English counterparts when it comes to penalty shootouts.

Match Details

Match: Round of 16, Match 4- ENG vs SEN  

Date: 5 December 2022

Time: 12:30 AM  

Venue: Al Bayt Stadium

Key Players

ENG: In England's 3-0 win over Wales, Bellingham became the second-youngest player to reach 20 caps at the age of 19 years and 153 days, dominating the midfield. He won possession seven times, tying John Stones for the most in the game, and had a passing accuracy of 90%. However, Senegal's midfield has more depth and talent than Wales', and this game promises to be a more difficult test of his undeniable talent.

SEN: The Lions of Teranga have had five different goal scorers in this World Cup, but Ismaila Sarr may be the one that England is most concerned about. He scored a penalty against Ecuador and also had the most touches in their box (five) and played more passes into the final third (13), eight of which were accurate.

Sarr is firmly in the sale window after missing out on a transfer away from Championship club Watford earlier in the season, and this is a significant opportunity for him to impress.

Possible Starting XIs

ENG: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Rice, Henderson, Bellingham; Rashford, Kane, Foden

SEN: E. Mendy; Sabaly, Koulibaly, Diallo, Jakobs; P. Gueye, N. Mendy, Ciss; Ndiaye, Dia, Sarr

Match Prediction

We say ENG 2-0 SEN

Senegal are ill-equipped to withstand an onslaught from England's effervescent front line, having surrendered at least once in all three matches so far - if Southgate's team plays to their maximum capacity.

Despite being well-organised and posing a strong danger on the break, the absence of key players might see Africa's best side defeated by the Three Lions at Al Bayt.

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