England VS DR Congo Preview: The Real Test Starts Now

After what was a mildly underwhelming end to their group stage campaign, England hope that they will be able to step it up a few gears with their first knockout game of this year's tournament upon them.

It is the DR Congo who stand in the way of the Three Lions' path to the round of 16, who would like to fancy themselves in this fixture, given their impressive group stage form, including a defiant display against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

If the recent form of both sides is anything to go by, Wednesday's clash in Atlanta looks set to be a tight one, which England will truly be put to the test by for the first time this World Cup, and will need to pass it if they are to have any hope of finally bringing football home.

Will England Be Able To Break DR Congo Down?

If there has been one recurring theme for England throughout this tournament so far, it would be the constant struggle Thomas Tuchel's side seems to face when coming up against teams who opt to sit in a low block and hit fast on the break.

This was most evident to see in both of England's last two games, when struggling to create chances, the team would go on to commit another midfielder or fallback forwards in the hope of breaking down their opponents, which then left the Three Lions susceptible to fast counterattacks, which we saw on display against both Panama and Ghana.

Arguably, partly the reason England have had issues when facing these resilient defensive sides is due to the personnel of the squad Tuchel has chosen.

For example, with players such as Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke consistently starting games, whose best attributes are their pace and ability to get in behind defences and cause chaos, which can be very effective against the higher-ranked nations such as France or Spain.

But when coming up against a team that won't allow England that space, they then have their best strengths neutralised, and the team begins to struggle.

This is why in England's Round of 32 clash with DR Congo, it is vital Tuchel elects to pick a lineup best suited for the opposition and utilise players such as Marcus Rashford, whose ability to get past defenders and drive into the box could become a real difference maker in this match.

Team News

After already facing injury troubles, with Tino Livramento's tournament already coming to a premature end, it has now been confirmed that now both Reece James and Jarell Quansah are set to miss England's knockout clash with DR Congo.

Tottenham Hotspur fallback Djed Spence is now expected to fill in at right back, having only played a sparse number of minutes at the tournament so far, further bringing Thomas Tuchel's admission of Trent Alexander-Arnold from the England squad into further question.

However, more positive news from the England camp is that Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is now once again expected to be available for selection following a short absence from the starting XI against Panama due to a nursed back injury the Englishman has been dealing with since the backend of the club season.

As for the DR Congo, they expected to have a fully fit squad to select from, and will hope to take advantage of a potentially weakened England side as they look to cause one of the upsets of the tournament.

Prediction: England 2-1 DR Congo

It certainly feels like one that's more likely to go down to the wire than not, but ultimately England's quality once again should be enough to see them through, with the individual quality of stars such as Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham being able to drag their sides through games as we have seen in the past. 

There is still definitely the potential for an upset here, however, and it wouldn't be a surprise if we see this game head to extra time given DR Congo's strong defensive record at the tournament so far, and if it were to go to penalties, then given England's history in World Cup shootouts, you wouldn't be shocked to see the Three Lions crash out.