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Wales vs England will face off at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium on Tuesday in their final group game at this World Cup, with both sides keen to end on the strongest note possible.
Marcus Rashford shrugged off the suggestion England are too conservative under Gareth Southgate as he insisted they have a killer instinct.
Time to unite. Time to write a new chapter. pic.twitter.com/ahjmgY60jL
— England (@England) November 21, 2022
England drew 0-0 with the United States on Friday, in a World Cup match that saw both teams only accumulate a combined 1.4 expected goals (xG).
The draw leaves England – 6-2 victors over Iran in their opening match – on four points at the top of Group B, meaning they only need to avoid defeat against neighbours Wales on Tuesday to guarantee qualification.
A win would confirm their place as group winners, but manager Southgate has been criticised in some quarters for his pragmatic approach.
Yet with England having reached a World Cup semi-final in 2018 and a final at the delayed Euro 2020 last year, Rashford does not believe the critics' point stands up to scrutiny.
Edging closer to matchday ⏳ pic.twitter.com/V0hu4Sq4HZ
— England (@England) November 28, 2022
"We've shown progression, I can only speak on the time that I've been here, from 2016," Rashford said in a press conference.
"You look at the performance against Iceland when we got knocked out of the Euros, it's a million miles off where we are now, you can't even compare them.
"We have great players, playing top football against the best opposition week in and week out, so we can't go into games and think negatively. It's not something the players do or the manager does. He always wants us to show people what we can do.
"We're fully motivated, fully incentivised into throwing absolutely everything into getting the win. Then, who knows? Hopefully, there's a chance we can still get us out of this group.”#ArBenYByd | #FIFAWorldCup | #TogetherStronger
— FA WALES (@FAWales) November 27, 2022
"We play positive football, it showed against Iran, scoring six goals. They're a top-20 team in the world. We've seen the smaller nations get massive upsets in the tournament.
"So scoring those goals, it's a big sign of what we're about. If we can kill a team off, we'd want to do that."
The onus will not be wholly on England at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, with Wales needing a win to keep their qualification hopes alive.
After drawing their first game against the United States, Wales lost 2-0 to Iran last time out, meaning they must topple England to stand a chance of progressing from the group, and even a win might not be enough.
Gary ♥️🏴#TogetherStronger pic.twitter.com/cyQ4TNSyep
— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) November 27, 2022
"Of course we can
"The picture is clear now: we have to beat England and be prepping for that. Hopefully we can be in a position where we give a good account of ourselves and see where it takes us."
Match Details:
- Location: Al Rayyan, Qatar
- Stadium: Ahmed bin Ali Stadium
- Date: Tuesday 30 November
- Kick-off Time: 12:30 AM IST
Wales vs England: Where to Watch in India?
Watch on TV: Sports 18/HD
Watch on PC/Laptop/Mobile: Jio Cinema App