England edged past Colombia in their Round of 16 game on the basis of penalties, marking their first shoot-out win in World Cup history. Gareth Southgate seems to have found the mantra to make this team gel and play as a unit.
Up against Sweden in the quarter-finals, the Three Lions must adopt a physical approach. The Swedes play a rigid 4-4-2 formation, meaning they will give England a good run for their money.
Changes are expected from Southgate and he should bring in Raheem Sterling ahead of Marcus Rashford. He should also freshen up the left wing-back position by bringing in Danny Rose for Ashley Young.
Thankfully for England, there are no injury issues to their key players, enabling the manager to field the same system which has worked well thus far.
Let us take at the possible lineup which Southgate can deploy in the crunch quarter-final game against Sweden.
After his heroic penalty saves in the shoot-out, Pickford’s confidence will be on another planet. He has looked a part in this tournament and will play a key role against Sweden.
Kyle Walker has adapted well to the right centre-back role. He has the ability to pass out from the back without any difficulty and possesses great pace to make recovery runs when needed.
Stones has become a pivotal figure for England at the back. His passing skills make him a threat in both boxes and his one-on-one defending abilities have improved a lot.
Maguire has been a beast at the back for the Three Lions. He also possesses great passing accuracy and is an aerial threat in both boxes. Utilizing him for attacking set-pieces has been an impressive move by England.
Trippier has developed a fantastic habit of making unmarked runs from the right wing-back position and to provide an outlet for diagonal passes. His set-piece delivery has been impeccable as well. In addition, Trippier has the capability to defend one-on-one situations and track back to help Walker when needed.
Ashley Young has done a steady job but the 32-year-old seemed a bit jaded. Southgate must freshen up and bring Danny Rose in to add threat by playing a natural left-footer as the left wing-back.
Henderson has been one of the most consistent performers for the Three Lions. His energy in the midfield, along with his precise passing, is impeccable. The Liverpool captain has certainly his taken chance with both hands in this tournament.
Lingard is a lethal threat up front. He often makes late runs in the box while tracking forward runs diligently. But, England might need more from him while in possession and the Manchester United man must deliver against Sweden.
Alli’s link-up play with Harry Kane is a thing to behold. However, he needs to add more spark in his game from that crucial central midfield position. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is knocking at the door but Southgate must start Alli.
Sterling needs to perform better to have a greater impact. The Manchester City man has to do better with the ball while being dexterous in making forward runs.
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Kane has been England’s golden man in Russia. He has already netted 6 goals in just 3 appearances but he should work wonders against Sweden as well. If he continues this way, he will surely stake his claim for a place football history.
