Twitter
Advertisement

2018 World Cup: England unchanged vs Sweden in quarter-final match

England take on Sweden in quarter-final match in 2018 World Cup on Saturday.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

England's Ashley Young and Kyle Walker have both recovered from minor injury concerns to be included in the side to face Sweden in their World Cup quarter-final on Saturday, as has Jamie Vardy who starts on the bench.

Back-up striker Vardy was a major doubt after suffering a groin strain when England played Colombia in the last 16, but was again fit to be named among the substitutes for the encounter in Samara.

 

Sweden right back Mikael Lustig is banned after picking up a second yellow card and has been replaced by Emil Krafth, while midfielder Sebastian Larsson returns from suspension and comes into the side for Gustav Svensson.

England's Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Walker are all one booking away from missing a potential semi-final, while Albin Ekdal and Viktor Claesson are in the same boat for Sweden.

An increasingly confident Sweden are relishing the prospect of a World Cup quarter-final clash against England after displaying the best of their battling qualities in a 1-0 win over Switzerland in Tuesday’s Round of 16 tie.

Winger Emil Forsberg, whose deflected goal earned Sweden a first World Cup quarter-final berth since 1994, says the side will continue to make it tough for whoever they meet.

The Swedes have traditionally been a tough opponent for the English, who went 43 years without a win over the Scandinavians from 1968 to 2011, with England manager Gareth Southgate saying they had underestimated them in the past.

After suffocating the Swiss with their compact, defensive style, the Swedes are unlikely to change the tactics that have carried them this far in the tournament, and the fact that England will be favourites will not bother them.

However, England have thicker skins and vital experience in the bank after surviving to fight another day in a nail-biting penalty shootout against Colombia. 

England booked their spot in the last eight with a 4-3 shootout victory over Colombia after an often tense and tetchy encounter that only went to extra time after the South Americans scored deep into stoppage time.

That was a body blow that many sides might have struggled to recover from, especially one drawn from one of the youngest squads in the tournament.

Yet Gareth Southgate's team dug in and then became the first England side to win a World Cup shootout.

According to captain Harry Kane, that tension-filled climax has not only given them a huge psychological lift but also left them ready to go through it all again if necessary against Sweden.

(With Reuters inputs)

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement