England and Tunisia open their FIFA World Cup 2018 campaign by taking on each other in the second game of Group G on Monday.
A lot has been said and written about England in the buildup to the FIFA World Cup 2018.
And the Three Lions will be desperate to live up to the expectations when they take on Tunisia on Monday. Not much is expected from Gareth Southgate’s youthful side. So England head to the finals in Russia with very less pressure which can do wonders for the team.
In previous competitions, the pressure on the team caused the side to underperform on several occasions. As a result, they have failed to make it to a semi-final since the 1990 tournament in Italy.
However, Harry Kane & Co. are blessed to be free of such heavy expectations. And they will be keen to use it as a big opportunity.
Final session: ☑️
Next stop Volgograd.#threelions pic.twitter.com/ow5pW2A0QW
— England (@England) June 17, 2018
With Belgium also in the Group along with Panama, a win in this game will very much increase England’s chances of progressing out of the group stage.
Tunisia, on the other hand, are back at a World Cup for the first time since 2006. The North Africans have never progressed through a group stage at a World Cup in four previous appearances. And they face an upheaval task this time around too. Tunisia looked impressive during the warm-up games. They fought back from 2-0 down to draw with Portugal and only lost narrowly to Spain as a result of Iago Aspas’s 84th-minute goal.
Sportzwiki brings you all you need to know ahead of the clash between the two sides.
Venue and time:
England and Tunisia will lock horns at the Volgograd Arena. The action will begin at 11:30 PM IST.
Players to look out for:
For England, all eyes will be on their star forward and skipper Harry Kane. The Tottenham Hotspur star enjoyed a sensational season, scoring 41 goals in all competitions.
With talisman Youssef Msakni missing through injury, Tunisia will be relying on Wahbi Khazri to deliver the goods. An attacking midfielder by trade, he will have to play a big role if Tunisia are looking to make an impact.
Where to watch:
The Indians fans will enjoy extensive coverage of the game. The English coverage will be shown on SONY TEN 2 SD and HD channels.
The Hindi feed will be aired on SONY TEN 3 SD and HD channels. Bengali and Malayali feed will be available on SONY ESPN SD channel.
Squads:
| Position | Tunisia players |
| Goalkeepers | Mustapha, Hassen, Mathlouthi |
| Defenders | Bedoui, Benalouane, Youssef, Bronn, Haddadi, Ali Maaloul, Meriah, Nagguez |
| Midfielders | Badri, Amor, Chaalali, Khalil, Khaoui, Sassi, Skhiri, Sliti, Srarfi |
| Forwards | Youssef, Khalifa, Khazri |
| Position | England players |
| Goalkeepers | Butland, Pickford, Pope |
| Defenders | Alexander-Arnold, Gary Cahill, Delph, Jones, Maguire, Rose, Stones, Trippier, Walker, Young |
| Midfielders | Alli, Dier, Henderson, Lingard, Loftus-Cheek |
| Forwards | Kane, Rashford, Sterling, Vardy, Welbeck |
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