World Cup 2018: Colombia vs England, 3 reasons why England will knock Colombia out of the tournament
Defending champions Germany were eliminated first. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo followed suit. Spain were knocked out by the hosts. Belgium had a scare against Japan.
Colombia England Score and Live Commentary, World Cup 2018
What a World Cup this has been so far!
In France, Uruguay, Russia, Croatia, Brazil and Belgium we have already got six of the eight quarter-finalists which brings us to the last day of the round-of-16 match-ups.
The first game of the day will see Sweden taking on Switzerland but all the buzz is around the second game that will see Colombia and England square off at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow.
England's stock as a potential semifinalist has ostensibly grown, thanks to a measured loss against Belgium and the English fans are absolutely convinced it's coming home.
But it's easier said than done as Harry Kane and co. will be up against a side who had made it to the quarterfinals of the last edition, in Brazil.
The Three Lions haven't won a single knock-out game at a major tournament since 2006 and they will be desperate to get the monkey off their back on Tuesday.
So, can they beat the Colombians to register their first knock-out game victory in years? Here are three reasons why they can. Let's take a look:
#3 A fully-fit and well-rested side
The World Cup is a month-long tournament and playing a game every three or four days can be extremely grinding both physically and mentally, especially when most of the players are coming off a long season with their respective clubs.
A manager’s role is vital in terms of keeping important players fresh and available and Gareth Southgate seems to have done quite a good job with the Three Lions squad.
England head into the round of 16 without having had to endure the mental and physical stress of their opponent Colombia. After two successive wins from the first two games, the likes of Harry Kane, Jesse Lingard, and Raheem Sterling were all rested for their third group game against Belgium, meaning they would be fresh and raring to go against the Colombians.
Dele Alli, who suffered a thigh strain after the first game against Tunisia, is back to full fitness as well.
On the other hand, Colombia’s outfield players have played one more energy-sapping game than their English counterparts which may work in England’s favour. What’s worse, they have lost their star player James Rodriguez to a calf injury and he is a doubtful starter heading into this game.