World Cup 2022: England Must be Wary of Senegal

England vs Senegal

England are feeling good about themselves following a successful group stage. But now the real business in the tournament begins for the Three Lions, as they’ll take on the Teranga Lions from Senegal in the World Cup 2022 Round of 16.

Gareth Southgate’s men cruised through Group B as they picked up positive World Cup 2022 results with two wins and one draw for seven points.

Aliou Cisse’s Senegal, meanwhile, bounced back from their opening loss to Netherlands by beating Qatar and Ecuador to claim the second ticket from Group A.

The pre-match SBOTOP betting odds fancy England’s chances, but that puts them under enormous pressure to live up to the lofty expectations.

Senegal don’t mind being the underdogs, though, and they are by no means pushovers as they can give England all sorts of problems.

Talking Points

Southgate must lift the handbrake off

England may have annihilated Iran 6-2 in the opener, but it’s clear that Iran are not in the same class as them. They were then held to a goalless draw by a spirited USA team – a performance that drew loud jeers from their supporters at the final whistle.

The Americans gave the Three Lions a huge run for their money. USA could’ve won the game if Weston McKennie or Christian Pulisic had converted early, and England barely created a chance in the second half, with Harry Kane’s wide header being the only dangerous moment for USA.

Against Wales, England also had a jarring performance – at least in the first half. But after failing to convert on their chances, England took advantage when Wales were worn out in the second half.

Marcus Rashford is one of the standout performers of the tournament thus far, so he should start once more, while fellow striker Harry Kane is another man to watch out for since the 2018 Golden Boot winner has yet to get on the scoresheet.

Phil Foden should be reinstated as a starter to join Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice because he provides that extra creative spark in midfield, especially with Mason Mount struggling.

Simply put, Gareth Southgate must not have a conservative approach if they are to bring back home the trophy since this England squad is built to go full throttle.  

Shorthanded Senegal have nothing to lose

Aliou Cisse should be given the plaudits for guiding Senegal to the Round of 16. Many have already counted them out when Sadio Mane was ruled out prior to the tournament, but here they are now.

Unfortunately for the Teranga Lions, Mane is not the only absence they’ll have to deal with as Cheikhou Kouyate and Idrissa Gueye are both out for different reasons.

Kouyate has yet to play or train since he was stretchered off against Netherlands with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury after colliding with Frenkie de Jong.

Gueye, meanwhile, has to serve his one-match ban after incurring his second booking against Ecuador on Tuesday.

So, the only chance they have in this match is if they catch their European counterparts off-guard. Senegal’s fleet-footed frontline led by Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye, and Boulaye Dia could unsettle England’s backline.

History

Sunday marks the first ever competitive meeting between England and Senegal. It’ll be the 13^th time that England’s first ever match against a country has come in the World Cup, and they only lost once in 12 such games (W7, D4) since a 1-0 defeat to USA in 1950.

The Three Lions have never lost in their last seven World Cup games against African sides (W4. D3). Their last match against African opposition was a 3-2 result against Cameroon during the 1990 quarter-finals.

African countries have lost eight of their last nine World Cup knockout matches against European sides. Senegal’s 2-1 victory over Sweden in 2002 Round of 16 was the exception.

England can reach the quarter-finals in back-to-back World Cups for the first time since 2002 and 2006. Since their 1966 triumph, their highest finish was landing in fourth place in 1990 and 2018.

Betting Tip

It’s no surprise that the World Cup 2022 odds are backing England since they’re installed at 1.56, while Senegal are at 6.20 and chances for a draw are at 3.75 in the 1X2 market. However, those numbers won’t matter if they don’t bring it on the pitch.

England cannot start slowly against Senegal, as they’ve learned against both USA and Wales; but they should have enough to brush them aside en route to the next round.

 

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