Sporting Life
England will face Sweden in the World Cup quarter-finals
England will face Sweden in the World Cup quarter-finals

World Cup knockout stage draw: England's potential route to the final in Russia

Football
Wed July 04, 2018 · 6y ago

England's odds to win the World Cup have been cut to 4/1 joint second favourites after reaching the quarter-finals. We map out their potential route to glory.

The Three Lions finally won a World Cup penalty shoot out at the fourth time of asking on a dramatic Tuesday night which saw them reach their first quarter-final since 2006.

With Spain being shocked by Russia in this 'easier' half of the knockout draw, England now have their best chance to reach a major final for the first time since 1966.

Here we briefly look back at their results and route so far and the tests that lie ahead.

Group G

  1. Belgium P 3 W 3 D 0 L 0 GF 9 GA 2 PTS 9
  2. England P 3 W 2 D 0 L 1 GF 8 GA 3 PTS 6
  3. Tunisia P 3 W 1 D 0 L 2 GF 5 GA 8 PTS 3
  4. Panama P 3 W 0 D 0 L 3 GF 2 GA 11 PTS 0

Matches (Click on each scoreline for report & stats)

England sealed their spot in the knockout stages with a game to spare thanks to their biggest ever win in a major tournament as they thrashed Panama 6-1, with the help of a Harry Kane hat-trick. They rested key players in what turned out to be a low-key 'B team' affair against Belgium, whose 1-0 triumph 'consigned' Gareth Southgate's side to the 'easier' half of the World Cup draw.

Last 16: v Colombia, (Moscow)

Colombia 1-1 England (England win 4-3 on penalties)

Yes, that's right - England finally won a penalty shoot-out in a World Cup. It was only their second ever success on spot kicks at a major tournament and first since Euro 96, while Jordan Pickford ended a 20-year wait for an English goalkeeper to save a penalty in a shoot-out.

Despite a very scrappy game of actual football, which saw Harry Kane's penalty cancelled out by Yerry Mina's stoppage time header, the result saw England become 4/1 second-favourites to win the World Cup.

Surely the final beckons at the very least?

Quarter-Finals: v Sweden

Sweden caused a very minor upset by knocking out Switzerland in the last 16 but few would have actually been surprised considering they topped a group including Germany, Mexico and South Korea.

The Swedes don't have much for England to fear although the Golden Generation of 2002 and 2006 twice underestimated them in World Cup group stage competition and ended up with draws.

England's young side are growing in confidence having battled their way past Colombia in a match that previous generations would have bottled and gone out on penalties, so Gareth Southgate will have them perfectly prepared for a crack at reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 1990.

Harry Kane will also be licking his lips at the prospect of moving further ahead in the Golden Boot race. Having scored with all of his six shots on target this summer, he's already level with Gary Lineker for most goals scored by an Englishman in a single World Cup with six.

Semi-Finals: v Russia or Croatia

Spain were odds on to see off hosts Russia in the last 16 but they ran out of ideas against a stubborn hosts and paid the price with a penalty shootout defeat. The impressive Croatia side that thrashed Argentina 3-0 almost went the same way as they laboured against a well-organised Denmark before prevailing on spot-kicks. That leaves Croatia as big favourites to make the semis but hardly making England fans shake in their boots on that performance.

Final: v Brazil, France, Belgium or Uruguay

They could have met Brazil in the quarter-finals on the other half of the draw but they can now only meet the tournament favourites in the final.

However, that's only if the five-time winners can battle their way past Belgium before a tough last-four meeting with one of France, or Uruguay.

So, is football coming home or what?

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