England pulled off a comfortable victory against Wales to cement the top spot in Group B, setting up an exciting tie with Group A runners-up Senegal on Sunday.
It was a different story for bottom-place Wales, as this loss means they’re leaving Qatar with only 1 point and one goal scored.
After a lackluster first-half performance from both teams, England manager Gareth Southgate made a tactical change to swap over wingers Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden. It made all the difference, with the two players sharing England’s three goals.
The first goal was a well-taken free kick by Rashford from just outside the area that found the far-right corner of the net. A mere 98 seconds later, Harry Kane played a teasing ball across the box for Foden to tap into the net from 6 yards out. The final goal was a lovely individual move by Rashford that saw him dribble into the box before unleashing a powerful shot through the goalkeeper’s legs.
Expected goals (xG): England-2.35, Wales 0.28
Man of the Match: Jude Bellingham, England
Bellingham put in the kind of wonderful performance England fans have become accustomed to. He completed all six challenges he attempted, winning 3-of-3 aerial duels and 3-of-3 tackles. The Borussia Dortmund man didn’t give Wales any time on the ball, pressuring 37 times, 26 of which were successful. He also recorded a pass completion rate of 89%, with 47 of his 53 finding their intended target, three of which were deemed key passes.
Best Passer: Kyle Walker, England
In his first match back since the start of October, Walker settled into this England side seamlessly. He completed 50 of his 54 pass attempts, leaving him with a 93% completion rate. While he was only on the pitch for 57 minutes, he also completed all five line-breaking passes and 3-of-5 create-contest passes.
Best Challenger: John Stones, England
Setting the marker for those ahead of him, Stones was dominant again for England, winning five of his six challenges to leave him with an 83.3% win rate. He also won 4-of-5 aerial duels and his only 50/50 duel. Stones and center-back partner Maguire were imperious in defense, allowing Wales only one shot on target in the full 90 minutes.
Goalkeepers
It was a quiet evening for Jordan Pickford in net, who faced only one shot on target from Wales and produced a smart save in response.
It was a different story for Welsh goalkeeper Danny Ward. England had seven shots on target, of which Ward saved four, giving him a save completion percentage of 57%. Two of the three goals Ward conceded were deemed saveable, a statistic the keeper will not want to see again.
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