Tunisia – England World Cup Prediction
There is a lot of curiosity about the English national team, who will play Tunisia tonight at his first match at the World Cup in Russia tonight. It is now years that England has presented itself to the Europeans and the World Championships with great expectations, but then completely disregard them. This time it could go differently, or maybe not. At least against Tunisia a victory should come, even if it will not be a walk: what has been seen so far in this World calls for maximum caution.
Pros and defects of England
By force of retaining England a national capable of getting to the end in major competitions, and come every time denied by the results, this time there is perhaps the risk of snubbing it altogether. The strong players are really there, and the competitive and professional level that they play regularly, that of the Premier League, is probably the most competitive ever. Yet there is no shortage of defects to this national, perhaps insurmountable to believe that it can really get to the end in this World Cup.
The fact that the richest championship in the world, the Premier League, where the best footballers and the best coaches work, is helping to grow even the British youth sectors has been confirmed by the recent victories of the national teams. The Under 21 team finished third at the European Championships, and above all the victories in the U19 European Championships and in the Under 20 and U17 World Cups have arrived. It is no coincidence that the strongest players of this national team that comes to the World Cup in Russia are also the youngest: Marcus Rashford is 20, Dele Alli 22, Raheem Sterling 23 and Harry Kane 24. Other landlords are very young: Jordan Pickford, Eric Dier and John Stones are all 24 years old.
On the positive side, these young people may be less afraid of failing than their colleagues in the past. The English press is always very critical of the national team and every defeat is treated with a lot of participation and often with exaggerated tones. A bit of “lightness” – one that shines through the promotional video in which the squad members were announced – could help to overcome these first games. Apart from Belgium the opponents of the group are affordable. In the long run the very young average age – the third after those of Nigeria and France in this World Cup – could be a problem. Players lacking experience to manage the most difficult phases of important knockout games. The confirmation came, for example, from the non-exciting performances of Dier, Kane and Alli of Tottenham in the return match of the Champions League first knockout rounds against Juventus.
Tunisia: a solid team with a heavy absence
Tunisia is preparing to play for the fifth time the World Cup, in which it has never managed to overcome the first round. The first presence dates back to 1978, the year in which he also obtained the only victory over twelve games played (3-1 against Mexico). Getting the first historical qualification in the round of 16 will be very complicated because Tunisia has come in a group with two stronger national teams: England and Belgium. At least the second victory in the World Cup could come, because Panama appears within reach.
The national coached by Nabil Maaloul is tactically well prepared and has a good number of players playing in European clubs. The same technical commissioner has complained however the absence of the striker Youssef Msakni, due to injury. Msakni scored a hat-trick to Guinea in the game that sealed the World Cup qualifying, and Maaloul said Msakni has the same “weight” of Messi in Argentina. As Messi and Argentina have combined in these early days of Russia 2018, if Maaloul really wanted to say what he said, perhaps he would have to take Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal as an example.
The fact is that Tunisia is presented at the World without his best striker and without a substitute that can not regret. At this point the fortunes of the offensive phase will depend mainly on the other player of the greatest talent and that is Wahbi Khazri, who after a good season at Sunderland was repeated in the last year at Rennes in France. It is a very technical and skillful midfielder to throw the set pieces. Another striker to consider is the outside Bassem Srarfi, who at just twenty years managed to carve out a space in Nice.
The latest news on the formations
For this first game against England, the commissioner Nabil Maaloul decided not to replace Msakni, in the sense that the team will play without a central striker of reference but with Khazri in the role of “false nueve”. The three-chancellors in the 4-2-3-1 with which his team will take the field will be Badri, Khaoui and Sliti, with Srarfi ready to eventually enter the recovery. The defense will be composed of Nagguez, Meriah, Ben Youssef and Maaloul with Sassi and Ben Amor in defense deployed to protect the defense.
On the other hand the game module chosen by the commissioner Gareth Southgate will be 3-4-2-1. England’s strengths are Alli and Sterling on the trocar and Kane on offense. The Pickford goalkeeper seems more reliable than those seen in England in the past World Cup, but the defense is not much. Walker, who usually plays full-back, will be deployed as a center right. And then with Stones there will be Cahill, who played a bad season in Chelsea so much to lose the starting spot. The outsiders of midfield will be Trippier and Young, revitalized by the trust placed in him by Mourinho in Manchester United. Henderson and Dier will play in the middle.
Prediction Tunisia – England
It is easy to imagine a defensive match by Tunisia, which will try to keep the zero to zero for as long as possible and make England nervous. It will not be easy to take the lead, but in the long run Alli, Sterling and Kane should find at least one goal, while in Tunisia orphaned Msakni, as mentioned, is missing a real reserve slug.
The probable formations of Tunisia – England
TUNISIA (4-2-3-1): Mathlouthi; Nagguez, Meriah, Ben Youssef, Maaloul; Sassi, Ben Amor; Badri, Khaoui, Sliti; Khazri.
ENGLAND (3-4-2-1): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Cahill; Trippier, Henderson, Dier, Young; Alli, Sterling; Kane.
Prediction of the Day: 2
Odds: 1.45
Prediction Today: X2 + UNDER 3.5
Odds: 1.36
