England set up a mouthwatering World Cup quarterfinal with France on Saturday, overcoming their early struggles to secure an emphatic 3-0 win over Senegal. The margin of victory rather flattered Gareth Southgate's side, who struggled to find any sort of rhythm in a first 30 minutes where their commitment to playing short invited a host of problems on them.
To their credit England eventually reacted, only after the outstanding Jude Bellingham had teed up Jordan Henderson for the opener, and further goals from Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka meant that with an hour played England could make plans for their great rival later this week. Senegal, meanwhile, will wonder what might have been if their great spell of pressure had not been punctured in such frustrating fashion.
The Three Lions started brightly at the Al Bayt Stadium, their advanced press allowing them to regain possession around the Senegal final third on more than one occasion early on without really testing Edouard Mendy's goal. Indeed the early opportunities came for the African champions, who preyed on clumsy passing out from the back by first Harry Maguire and then John Stones.
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The former might have slipped England away with an ambitious progressive pass but instead handed possession to Senegal. In a flash they were up the right, crossing for Boulaye Dia to strike against John Stones. Ismaila Sarr insisted there had been a handball before he spooned over but did so in the hope of absolution after a woeful miss.
Soon after Boulaye Dia drew an excellent save from Jordan Pickford as Senegal capitalised on an error from Buakyo Saka. England were at sea, unable to escape their own third, every man looking around in befuddlement at how few options they were being given. A goal was inevitable. It just came at the other end.
It was a reprise of the threat England had offered at the outset, Harry Kane drifting out to the left to create an overload that became too much for Senegal to bear when Jude Bellingham got involved too. Driving forward into the box he had options to his right and chose the right one, rolling the ball across the area to Jordan Henderson.
At the tender age of 19 Bellingham is proving his decision making aptitude on all the most important occasions. Picking the ball up in his own third he drove up the pitch and through a Senegal midfield that had looked to be extremely robust beforehand. At the right moment he slipped through Phil Foden, the ball flying on to Kane. He betrayed his impatience for a first World Cup goal with a thunderous strike across Edouard Mendy, the last act of a first half that might have gone disastrously different for England.
There was no such drama in the second, any semblance of Senegalese resistance ended with a flowing move down the left, Foden fizzing a cross through the legs of Kalidou Koulibaly for Bukayo Saka. Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy dropped to the deck to block the sidefoot shot but his Arsenal opponent saw it coming, lifting the ball into the net for his third goal of the World Cup, drawing him level with Marcus Rashford as the top scorer for the tournament's most freescoring side. One suspects they will need to add a few more to their tally if they are to overcome France on Saturday.
World Cup fixtures
Sunday, Dec. 4