Colombia meets England on Tuesday in what pledges to be one of the most enchanting rounds of 16 fixtures at the FIFA World Cup 2018.
The encounter between two favourites expects to be the most riveting one.
As both the teams have performed exceptionally well in their group stages, no team can be written-off ahead of the encounter.
England made a positive impression in the early stages of the tournament and are now looking to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2006.
For Colombia, doubts persist over whether star man, James Rodriguez will be fit to start. James went off injured during Colombia’s 1-0 win over Senegal on Thursday.
England are expected to revert to the side that started against Tunisia. The mid-fielder, Dele Alli has recovered from the thigh injury he picked up in that opening Group G win.
Meanwhile, Colombia are set to make a late decision on James’ fitness. However, fellow midfielder Abel Aguilar is likely to feature having recovered from the muscle problem that saw him sit out in the final Group H win.
PLAYERS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
ENGLAND: HARRY KANE
England captain Harry Kane is leading the Golden Boot race with five goals in just two appearances.
He scored a brace against Tunisia in England’s opening game and a hattrick against Panama later.
Kane has been smashing goals and will be looking to score in the all-important game to take his side through to the last eight.
COLOMBIA: RADAMEL FALCAO
Radamel Falcao has scored only one goal in the tournament so far. But he will be a key part to Colombia’s success.
In the absence of injured James Rodriguez, all pressure will be on the Colombian captain. And, he will be looking to stun England with his fine finishes.
VENUE AND TIME:
England and Colombia will lock horns at the Otkrytie Arena. The action will begin at 11:30 PM IST.
WHERE TO WATCH:
The Indian fans will enjoy extensive coverage of the game. SONY TEN 2 SD and HD channels will telecast the match.
SONY TEN 3 SD will air the Hindi feed. 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, Dele Alli, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Ashley Young, Raheem Sterling, and Harry Kane.
Colombia: David Ospina, Santiago Arias, Davinson Sanchez, Yerry Mina, Johan Mojica, Carlos Sanchez, Mateus Uribe, Juan Cuadrado, Juan Quintero, Luis Muriel, and Radamel Falcao.