England reached the semifinal of the World Cup 2018, but that doesn’t mean they’re the favorites in the clash with Spain. This Saturday evening at the Wembley, the visitors are expected to be the ones who will dominate the game. But, with the help of their supporters, the Three Lions are confident they’ll grab a win. Will they manage it? Find out in this England vs Spain match preview, at the end of which are a couple useful betting tips.
England
England were kind of lucky to go so far at the World Cup. They finished on the second place in the group, just behind Belgium, after beating two rather weak sides, Tunisia and Panama. Their road to the semifinal was also pretty easy – they left behind Colombia and Sweden. But, then in the semi-final, they lost to Croatia, followed by a defeat to Belgium in the match for the bronze.
All of this means that England might not be as strong as you would expect the 4th-best team in the world to be. Of course, this doesn’t mean that they’re gonna get hammered by Spain on Saturday. The match is played at the Wembley and England have always been great at home.
And they do have a number of amazing players in the team, particularly those guys who play for Tottenham. I’m talking about Harry Kane and his teammates like Kieran Trippier, Dele Alli, and Eric Dier. Another advantage of England is that they have a very talented manager, Gareth Southgate, who knows how to create a tactic to get the most out of his players.
Spain
Spain had a bit of turmoil this summer. Lopetegui got sacked just a few days before the start of the World Cup. Fernando Hierro took his spot but left it after a kind of disappointing performance of Spain national team at the tournament. Now, a new guy is in charge. The former Barcelona manager, Luis Enrique is now the manager of Spain. His making his debut this Saturday at the Wembley.
Since his arrival, several big changes have happened. Pique decided to retire from the national team, same as Andreas Iniesta. Diego Costa is also out, but his absence is just temporary. His partner is going into labour, so he’s decided to miss the game.
But, this doesn’t mean that Spain don’t have the manpower capable of doing well in England. They seem strong in every part of the pitch, from their goalie to their number 9. Actually, it’s still very unclear which XI Enrique is going to pick, as there are plenty of top-class players in the squad. For example, he has a choice between two excellent goalkeepers – Kepa from Chelsea and David de Gea from Manchester United.
Possible Lineups
England
Pickford – Maguire, Gomez, Stones, Trippier, Walker – Dier, Alli, Henderson – Rashford, Kane
Spain
Kepa – Ramos, Inigo Martinez, Azpilicueta, Marcos Alonso – Busquets, Alcantara, Isco, Asensio, Saul – Morata
England vs Spain Match Prediction
This is going to be a very close game, in which anything can happen. I think England will start the game in the fifth speed and if Spain manage to weather the storm, they’ll probably be able to take control of the match and get at least a point at the end. Betting on a draw thus seems like a reasonable solution.
England vs Spain Betting Tips
- Draw @3.20 (bet365)
- BTS @1.95 (bwin)