England will attempt to clinch a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals when they take on Senegal on Sunday. The Three Lions qualified as Group B winners, securing a 3-0 win over Wales on Tuesday in the final game, while Senegal were managed a runners-up spot behind the Netherlands in Group A. The upcoming meeting at Al Bayt Stadium will be first between the two nations and the winner will go up against reigning champions France or Poland in the last eight.
It is no secret that England are clear favorites for the encounter. Gareth Southgate's men began their campaign in Qatar by blowing Iran apart in their first group game before staging an uninspiring draw with the USMNT in their second game. However, an improvement on that performance resulted in the annihilation of Wales in the final game of the group stage.
Relatively, showed up when it mattered most for themselves to become the first African side to qualify for the Round of 16 at the tournament in Qatar. The Lions of Teranga were able to dust themselves from a rather disappointing 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands in their first group game before picking up wins over Qatar and Ecuador. The six points acrued from the pair of matches were enough to help Aliou Cisse's men secure the second position in Group A.
As far as chances go, England looks like the better side on paper. Needless to say, there could be a revenge mission on the cards for the Senegalese with no African side beating the Three Lions in their previous seven World Cup matches against teams from the continent.
England vs Senegal: Key stats and head-to-head record
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England and Senegal will be meeting for the first time ever in at the men's World Cup.
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Senegal have won three and failed to pick all the points in the same number of games (D1 L2) in their six World Cup meetings with European opponents. Their most recent result was a 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands.
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England are unbeaten in seven previous World Cup matches against African opposition (W4 D3).
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African nations have lost eight of their nine World Cup knockout round games against European sides, except Senegal's 2-1 win over Sweden in the Round of 16 in 2002.
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England have never lost against an African team in 20 outings across all competitions.
England vs Senegal: Team news
England will be without Ben White after leaving the squad due to personal reasons. Aside that, the Three Lions have no other fitness or suspension problems to worry about heading into this match as they aim to keep their unbeaten run going.
For Senegal, Idrissa Gueye will miss the match following his suspension. The Everton midfielder picked up a second booking of the tournament against Ecuador and, as a result, is ineligible for Sunday's crucial affair. Meanwhile, Cheikhou Kouyate remains a doubt due to an ankle injury.
England vs Senegal: Broadcast information
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