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Photographs from the FIFA World Cup match between Senegal and England on Sunday.
IMAGE: England’s Bukayo Saka celebrates after scoring the group’s third purpose in opposition to Senegal. {Photograph}: Catherine Ivill/Getty Photographs
England overcame a pedestrian begin to surge to a cushty 3-0 victory over Senegal on Sunday as objectives by Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka swept them right into a mouth-watering World Cup quarter-final conflict with holders France.
England took a very long time to impose themselves on the African champions, a group they’d by no means confronted earlier than, and survived a few scares earlier than two objectives late within the first half modified the texture of the night time and it was no contest after the break.
The victory prolonged England’s all-time unbeaten run in opposition to African groups to 21 video games, together with eight in World Cups. Morocco, who face Spain on Tuesday, at the moment are the one African group left within the match.
IMAGE: England’s Jordan Henderson celebrates after scoring the group’s first purpose in opposition to Senegal. {Photograph}: Dan Mullan/Getty Photographs
The absence of the suspended Idrissa Gueye and injured Cheikhou Kouyate left Senegal’s midfield too underpowered to pose issues for England.
With Sadio Mane lacking the match via harm the Africans additionally lacked a leading edge to bother an England defence that saved a 3rd successive World Cup clear sheet for the primary time in 20 years.
Though it was ultimately a convincing victory, England will want to take a look at how and why they took so lengthy to impose themselves.
For a lot of the first half they had been sluggish and static and a collection of misplaced passes gifted Senegal possibilities. The very best of them fell to Boulaye Dia and solely the sturdy left arm of keeper Jordan Pickford prevented the Africans taking the lead.
IMAGE: Harry Kane scores the group’s second purpose previous Abdou Diallo of Senegal. {Photograph}: Dan Mullan/Getty Photographs
With the relentless Senegalese drummers spurring their males on, England’s usually vociferous followers had been silent – and had nothing to elevate them.
They discovered their voice after 38 minutes although when England lastly injected some tempo, breaking down the left via Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, who crossed for late-arriving Henderson to stroke house the opener.
Kane had an nearly similar likelihood minutes later and although he sidefooted over, his purpose drought at this match got here to an finish in emphatic model in first-half stoppage time.
Bellingham once more surged from his personal field and fed Foden, who rolled the ball into the trail of the captain to smashed in an unstoppable shot to change into England’s eighth scorer in Qatar.
It was a lead that had regarded unlikely however England got here out filled with confidence after the break and it not felt like a contest.
IMAGE: Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr of Senegal shoots previous Jordan Pickford. {Photograph}: Julian Finney/Getty Photographs
Saka, recalled by coach Gareth Southgate in his solely change from the win over Wales, cleverly lifted within the third after 58 minutes following a penetrating run and low cross by Foden.
It was England’s twelfth purpose of the match, essentially the most by any group in Qatar and matching their all-time report set 4 years in the past once they went all the best way to the semi-finals.
From then on England had been in a position to undergo the motions and maintain out of bother as they’re nonetheless but to have a yellow card and appear to have prevented any main accidents going into the France showdown.
They know they are going to be unlikely to get away with a equally sluggish begin subsequent Saturday night time in opposition to a French group who impressively dispatched Poland 3-0 earlier on Sunday, however the holders too will probably be effectively conscious that their outdated rivals possess the weapons to do actual harm in the event that they get the possibility.
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