World Cup 2018, England vs Belgium Preview: Big Names On Show As Rivals Seek Top Slot

The top of the table FIFA World Cup 2018 contest between England and Belgium will not only decide which of the two finishes first on the points table from Group G, it will also be a contest to see if the top-scorers in the tournament has a better day. With Harry Kane at pole position for the golden boot, Belgian Romelu Lukaku is one strike away from catching up, so this little duel will add to the quality of the contest. England and Belgium are already in the World Cup Round of 16 from Group G, can barely be separated, each with six points and a goal difference of plus-2, having scored eight each and conceded two.

However, while England and Belgium have been scoring freely, they have also conceded some goals which looked rather unwarranted.

Belgium had a facile 3-0 win over Panama in their first match but blasted five goals against Tunisia. However, they also went on to concede two, which throws up some question marks about the defence.

England had quite a torrid time against Tunisia and needed a late injury-time winner from Kane to ensure that they didn't share points.

Against Panama, Kane went on to score a hat-trick as England scored six. But again, they conceded a goal, the first for debutants Panama.

So while both the sides look good in attack, there are gaps in the defence, which could be exploited, be it on Thursday or later in the knockout stages.

Both teams would like to iron out these glitches before they get into the really serious business against much stronger sides.

(With AFP Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

England Belgium Harry Kane Eden Hazard 2018 FIFA World Cup England vs Belgium, Match 48 Football