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England face nightmare World Cup last 16 tie if they suffer disastrous result vs Wales
England face nightmare World Cup last 16 tie if they suffer disastrous result vs Wales,England missed out an opportunity to seal early progression into the Round of 16 and this could have very huge consequences when it comes to who they may face in the next round

England face nightmare World Cup last 16 tie if they suffer disastrous result vs Wales

England could find themselves facing a dangerous Netherlands side if they fall short against Wales next Tuesday.

Gareth Southgate’s side began with a dominant 6-2 victory over Iran. Unfortunately, that performance was swiftly followed by a 0-0 draw against the USA, who extended their unbeaten streak over the Three Lions in World Cup football to three matches.

England still top Group B by one point, but they will be toppled if they fail to beat Wales and Iran beat the USA. If the worst is to happen, the Three Lions will most likely face a Netherlands side who only have to beat hosts Qatar to top their group.

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Louis van Gaal’s side also suffered a hiccup of their own when they were held to a 1-1 draw by a vibrant and energetic Ecuador side. Nevertheless, featuring a rock solid back three of Virgil van Dijk, Matthijs de Ligt, and Nathan Ake, and one of the planet’s in form players in Cody Gakpo, they will need to be treated with caution.

Southgate could have a real headache is England struggle against Wales
Southgate could have a real headache if England struggle against Wales (Image: Daily Mirror)

This would certainly be a worst case scenario for England who still retain a grip on Group B. If the USA overcome Iran, England will only need to draw with Wales to qualify for the round of 16 in first place, where they would face one of Ecuador or Senegal, assuming Holland have too much for Qatar.

Either way England will need to be on their game for the round of 16. And while he admitted there was not enough “zip” in their passes, Southgate called for calm ahead of the next challenge. “Of course I want our fans to go home happy. I want our fans at home to have a smile on their faces,” Southgate said after the game.

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England will surely need to beat Wales to regather their confidence and momentum
England will surely need to beat Wales to regather their confidence and momentum

“We didn’t quite manage to achieve that tonight. But people are going to react how they’re going to react. I can’t let that affect how I feel about the team or how the team feels. The objective is to qualify.

“We have three games to do it. I would imagine most of the teams in the competition will take three games to do it. We have to stay calm in these tournaments. We’ve been through this before. I’ve been in it as a player and a coach.

The Netherlands could be waiting for England in the next round
The Netherlands could be waiting for England in the next round

“We have the unique thing of getting through the last two in two games. So I’m sure there will be a lot of noise – this is the tournament of external noise. But we’re on track. We have a bit to do. We can still improve. That’s going to be our target.”

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