Match Details:
Date: 21 November 2022
Time: 6:30 PM IST
Venue: Khalifa International Stadium
Live Commentary: SportsTiger App
Preview:
After some key Group A fixtures, England and Iran will kick off the proceedings for Group B at the Khalifa International Stadium. Entering this game, both these teams will have an extremely varying expectation. The Three Lions are considered favourites whereas Team Melli would hope to sneak out of the group ahead of USA and Wales.
Team news:
Iran:
The only major injury concern for Iran coming into the tournament is the fitness of striker Sardar Azmoun, who has been a regular starter up front and a crucial member of the offence.
England:
The fitness of Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips has been a major question for Gareth Southgate ahead of the World Cup. Both players are part of the squad but haven’t had enough match fitness before travelling to Qatar.
Analysis:
Gareth Southgate’s men are often criticised for playing ‘suffer ball’ or conservative football in major tournaments. Despite boasting loads of talented players, Southgate still opts for control over playing expressive football. They have quality players throughout their squad and would hope to extract top-quality performances from the majority of their players. Entering the tournament, Jude Bellingham has been the most exciting English talent as he will be the link between their attack and defence.
Under Carlos Queiroz, Iran has been a formidable defensive unit peppered with some quality offensive talent. They often set up in a 4-3-3 but go into 4-1-4-1 while defending. Without the ball, Queiroz’s men look to contain the opposition with constant pressing football which creates opportunities for counter-attacks. This also becomes a major weakness for Iran as they struggle to score goals from open play.
Head-to-head:
Key Players:
Probable Starting XIs:
England:
Jordan Pickford (GK), John Stones, Harry Maguire, Eric Dier; Kieran Trippier, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Luke Shaw; Phil Foden, Raheen Sterling, Harry Kane (c).
Iran:
Amir Abedzadeh (GK), Sadegh Moharrami, Hossein Kananizadegan, Majid Hosseini, Ehsan Hajisafi (C); Ahmad Nourollahi, Saeid Ezatolahi, Milad Sarlak; Sardar Azmoun, Mehdi Taremi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh
Grand League team:
Head-to-head team:
Best 14:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Amir Abedzadeh
Defenders: Ehsan Hajisaf, Sadegh Moharrami, Luke Shaw; Kieran Trippier
Midfielders: Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Saeid Ezatolahi, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice
Strikers: Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane, Mehdi Taremi
Disclaimer: The fantasy tips and facts expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. They do not reflect the views of SportsTiger. It is not a reflection of the actual points you might earn. SportsTiger does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
