With an eye on sealing their place in the knockouts, England will take on Panama in the first of Sunday’s three games.
Harry Kane & Co. will be keen to build upon their opening game win over Tunisia when they face Panama. Moreover, with Belgium being their opponent in the last game, an impressive win here can help them take on the Red Devils in a contest that can pretty much decide the top two of the group. On Saturday, Belgium thrashed Tunisia 5-2 to go top of the group and Gareth Southgate knows England need a big win against Panama if they are to stand a realistic chance of finishing above the Red Devils.
England had managed to earn a hard-fought win in their opener against Tunisia thanks to a late Harry Kane winner. Debutants Panama are unlikely to give England a tough fight and the latter would be raring to put up an impressive display. Panama are coming into this game after being thrashed 3-0 by Belgium in their first-ever World Cup. They will also be eyeing an improved show. An unlikely win can put them in contention to advance to the next stage.
Sportzwiki brings you all you need to know ahead of the clash between the two sides.
Venue and time:
England and Panama will lock horns at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. The action will begin at 5:30 PM IST on Sunday.
Players to look out for:
England – Harry Kane:
Harry Kane proved his worth in gold as saved England’s blushes with a brace including a last-gasp winner. The captain will be keen to lead from the front again as England look to bury the heartbreak they suffered in the last edition of the World Cup.
Panama – Gabriel Gomez
Gomez had a good game against Belgium. The 34-year old had completed all 46 of his attempted passes in the match. Aside from his obvious leadership qualities, he is also Panama’s record caps-holder. His cool and composed presence in the field could be key to halting the forward runs of England’s talented forward line.
Where to watch:
The Indian fans will enjoy extensive coverage of the game. The English coverage will get telecast 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.
Possible line-ups:
England:
Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire; Kieran Trippier, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Ashley Young; Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane
Panama:
Jaime Penedo; Roman Torres, Fidel Escobar, Michael Murillo, Eric Davis; Gabriel Gomez, Anibal Godoy, Armando Cooper, Edgar Barcenas, Jose Luis Rodriguez; Blas Perez
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