Marcus Rashford bagged a brace as England eased past Wales to qualify for the World Cup Round of 16 as Group B winners.
Team News
After being grilled by English journalists after a disappointing and abysmal performance in a 0-0 draw against the USA, Gareth Southgate decided to make sundry changes to the starting lineup he deployed against the USA.
For the first time, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, and Jordan Henderson started the match, while Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, Kieran Trippier, and Bukayo Saka were benched.
Bale, on the other hand, made some changes to the squad that lost against Iran. Harry Wilson and Connor Roberts were benched, with James and Allen starting.
Starting Lineup
Wales: Ward, N Williams, Rodon, Mepham, Davies, Allen, Ampadu, Ramsey, James, Bale, Moore
England: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw, Henderson, Rice, Bellingham, Foden, Kane, Rashford
Head to Head
It was the first all-British World Cup group game, but the two sides have met in other competitions and friendlies.
The closeness of the two nations and the history they had always shared when they locked horns with each other in a football match made the game a must watch.
The clash in the 2022 FIFA World Cup was the first time they met on the biggest stage of the game.
Prior to the World Cup clash, the battle of the Britain (England Vs Wales) has occurred 138 times, with Wales winning 60 times while England winning 66 times. Twelve matches have ended in a draw.
At the FIFA 2022 World Cup, Wales opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against the USA before surprisingly losing to Iran 2-0 in their second group game.
England, on the other hand, opened their World Cup campaign with a 6-2 win over Iran before playing a 0-0 draw against the USA.
Wales needed to win to stand any chance of qualifying for the round of 16 of the tournament.
First Half Report
England dominated play as the first half began. Gareth Southgate’s changes had a resounding impact on the team’s performance as they wrestled the game from Wales and made some attempts on goal.
Wales equally gave a good account of themselves, contesting earnestly for ball possession and effectively marking off the Three Lions inside their box.
However, the game was played more in Wales’ half as the Three Lions approached the game with much intensity and attacking drive.
England nearly took the lead in the 10th minute of play, but Marcus Rashford missed a one-on-one chance with the Welsh goalkeeper.
Foden and Rashford were the real threats up front, but some miscalculated attempts resulted in missed chances.
The first half ended on a barren note, but overall, England were the better side and certainly gave Wales’ defence a headache throughout the first 45 minutes.
Second Half Report
It was dramatic second half for the Three Lions after what appeared to be an unproductive first half.
The Gareth Southgate-led team ripped apart Wales’ game plan from every angle.
They continued with their superior performance but could not make anything happen in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
A brave tactical move by Gareth Southgate changed the face of the game in a matter of seconds – Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford switched flanks before the goals started rolling in.
Marcus Rashford had opened the scoring with a long thunderbolt ranger from a free-kick in the 50th minute.
Just seconds later, Phil Foden doubled the lead, finishing from the back post after Harry Kane’s cross.
And then, it was Rashford again in the 68th minute, who blasted home his second to bag his brace and sank Wales.
The game ended with England securing a convincing 3-0 win in the first World Cup Battle of Britain to win the group and set up a round-of-16 clash with African champions Senegal.
Video Highlights
