England’s Shocking Defensive Crisis Ahead of World Cup Clash With DR Congo’s “Comeback Kings”

England Faces a Tough Challenge in the World Cup Knockouts

Thomas Tuchel has made it clear that England is ready to face the challenges of the World Cup knockouts and bring their best performance to the field. Their first test comes on Wednesday in Atlanta against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo DR), a team known for its ability to thrive under pressure.

Sébastien Desabre’s squad was one of two teams, along with Iraq, to qualify for the World Cup through the FIFA World Cup Inter-continental Playoffs. Congo DR secured their spot by finishing second in their qualifying group behind Senegal and then defeating Cameroon and Nigeria in Africa’s playoffs. They ultimately clinched their place with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Jamaica, thanks to Axel Tuanzebe’s goal in the 100th minute.

Les Léopards found themselves in a precarious position during the World Cup group stage. They started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Portugal, where Yoane Wissa equalized after João Neves opened the scoring. However, a 1-0 loss to Colombia left them in a tight spot. But as they have done before, Congo DR rose to the occasion, coming back from a 1-0 deficit to beat Uzbekistan 3-1. Wissa scored twice, and Fiston Mayele added the third goal, securing their place in the round of 32.

Match Details

Date: Wednesday, July 1 at 12 p.m. in Atlanta (5 p.m. BST & WAT, 6 p.m. CAT)
Venue: Atlanta Stadium (otherwise known as Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Atlanta

The match will be broadcasted on various platforms depending on the region:

• UK: BBC One
• Congo DR: RTNC
• Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport
• Streaming: Sporty TV
• Other regions: New World TV, beIN SPORTS
• USA: FOX
• India: Zee5
• Australia: SBS

The referee for the match will be Jordanian official Adham Makhadmeh.

Team News and Expected Lineups

England faces a challenge at right-back, with Reece James and Jarell Quansah doubtful due to injury, and Tino Livramento out of the tournament. Thomas Tuchel omitted Trent Alexander-Arnold from his World Cup squad, leaving the Three Lions with limited options in that position.

Expected lineup for England:

• GK: Jordan Pickford
• LB: Nico O’Reilly
• CB: Marc Guéhi | CB: Ezri Konsa
• RB: Djed Spence
• CM: Elliot Anderson | CM: Declan Rice
• LW: Marcus Rashford | AM: Jude Bellingham | RW: Bukayo Saka
• ST: Harry Kane

Expected lineup for Congo DR:

• GK: Lionel Mpasi-Nzau
• LB: Arthur Masuaku
• CB: Axel Tuanzebe | CB: Chancel Mbemba
• RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka
• LM: Brian Cipenga | CM: Samuel Moutoussamy | CM: Noah Sadiki | RM: Nathanaël Mbuku
• ST: Fiston Mayele | ST: Yoane Wissa

Key Stats

Congo DR earned all four of their group stage points at this World Cup by coming back from losing positions. Meanwhile, England has a strong record against African opponents, with five wins and four draws from nine matches. However, they suffered their first defeat to an African team in any context last year when Senegal beat them 3-1.