We’re expected to see a big spectacle at the Otkrytiye Arena in Moscow when two real heavyweights meet. Both Colombia and England are full of amazing players, who are playing for some of the world’s best clubs. More importantly, these two teams have been playing very well on this tournament, especially in the attack, meaning that we’re likely to see a lot of excitements on both ends this Tuesday evening.
Colombia
What worries Colombia’s fans ahead of the Round of 16 is the fitness of their best midfielder, James Rodriguez. He was substituted early on in the game against Senegal due to an injury which he’s been carrying for quite some time. In fact, because of that injury he was on the bench the whole time in the game against Japan, which his team lost.
Colombia had a pretty tough group, but managed to finish on top of it in the end, even though they lost the opening game. But, to be frank, they lost to Japan because one of their players got sent off early on. After that loss, Colombia played amazing against Poland, beating them 3:0. Then, in the final round of the group stage, they won 1:0 against Senegal, although they put on a fairly bleak performance. Many of their fans believe that the reason is the injury of James Rodrigues.
So, if he’s not going to play, will they be able to cope against England? Surely, he’s important, but they do have a number of quality players in the team, especially in the final third. Falcao, for example, seems like a man capable of scoring against literally any opponent on the planet. The question is whether he’ll actually have a chance to score against England, who are probably planning to keep the ball in their possession all the time.
England
Bookies think England are favorites here, despite the fact that they finished the group stage on the second spot, unlike Colombia who won their group. But, England have been pretty impressive in the group stage. They did lose to Belgium in the third round, but in that game, more than half of the team was made of reserve players.
England seem extremely strong in the center of the pitch, which could be crucial for beating Colombia. If they manage to cut off Falcao from the rest of Colombia’s players, they will have nothing to worry about. And when it comes to scoring, England have Harry Kane in the team. Tottenham’s striker has already put 5 goals to his name, even though he played only 2 matches so far.
Of course, Kane isn’t the only good player in this team. England have a number of top-class players in the squad and even if Southgate picked his second team, they would still have a good chance against Colombia. Surely, they’re not going to leave anything to chance – England will surely play with their best XI.
Possible Lineups
Colombia:
Ospina – Zapata, Mina, Arias, Mojica – Lerma, Uribe, Quintero, Cuadrado, Izquierdo – Falcao
England:
Pickford – Stones, Maguire, Walker, Trippier, Young – Dier, Henderson, Alli, Sterling – Kane
Colombia vs. England Match Prediction
This match has all the potential to be an exciting thriller. With so much talent up front, both teams seem capable of scoring a lot of goals. Still, I do believe England will score more. And I also think the game won’t go to the extra time. England will finish their job early.
Colombia vs. England Betting Tips
- England @2.10 (bet365)
- England to Qualify @1.50 (bet365)
- Harry Kane to Score Anytime @2.30 (Unibet)