England have put up an excellent performance in the group stage. Being tipped as the dark horses before the start of the World Cup, they have proved to the world with their display so far that they have the hunger and talented young players who are capable of lifting the World Cup.
In their first match in the group stage, England narrowly beat Tunisia 2-1 due to the heroics of Harry Kane. They ran a riot in the second game as they beat Panama 6-1 but gave a disappointing display in the 1-0 defeat to Belgium.
Colombia, on the other hand, had a difficult start as they lost 2-1 to Japan in their first group game.
With the return of James Rodriguez, Colombia trounced Poland 3-0 and narrowly sealed their place in the knockout round with a 1-0 victory over Senegal.
The last Round of 16 game between England and Colombia will be a fitting climax which will keep the fans on the edge of their seats. England are favorites to win the game due to their superior group-stage performance and the form which their young talented players will carry going into this match.
Let us look at the 3 key reasons as to why England will defeat Colombia and advance to the Quarter-finals.
1. England are more adventurous while going forward
England have significantly changed their style under Gareth Southgate in less than 2 years. They are more direct, are using the pace which their players have to their advantage and have penetrated the opposition's defense quite easily at the World Cup.
They have abandoned their previous style of defensive tiki-taka which consisted of keeping possession in their own half and passing sideways.
Colombia, on the other hand, is more dependent on the pace of Quadrado who drives the ball forward for them with his scintillating speed.
2. Doubt over James Rodriguez's fitness
James Rodriguez along with Falcao is the most experienced and very valuable player for Colombia. Having single-handedly carried Colombia to the 2014 Quarter-finals, he is a major threat for any opposition team.
Before the start of the tournament there was doubt over his fitness and hence it was a surprise when Colombia included him in the World Cup squad.
Having provided a valuable assist and played an influential part in Colombia's 2nd group game against Poland, Rodriguez was substituted after just 30 minutes against Senegal when suffered a calf problem.
Colombia's trio of Cuadrado, Falcao, and Rodriguez make them a formidable team and hence England will breathe a sigh of relief and will have a good chance at beating Colombia if Rodriguez is not declared match fit.
3. Unstoppable Harry Kane
Harry Kane has been among the prolific goalscorers at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Being England's best player, he has scored 5 goals in 2 matches and hence is a prime candidate to win the Golden Boot award at the end of the tournament.
He has a goal conversion rate of 100% and has scored a goal in every 30.6 minutes at the World Cup. His excellent poaching skills, physical strength and the ability to shoot from distance will make lives of Davidson Sanchez and Yerry Mina miserable as they will find it extremely to defend against a quality striker like Kane.
Further, his capability of shielding the ball from opponents will allow Lingard and Sterling to split the Colombian defence with their amazing pace and dribbling skills.
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