Dan Childs
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Gareth Southgate’s England started and finished the World Cup group stage campaign on a high note, but had thrown in a poor performance in the 0-0 tie with the USMNT in between. It will be interesting to see how the Three Lions, led by Tottenham striker Harry Kane, perform in the round-of-16 game against Senegal.
Morale should be high in England’s locker room, but Southgate will be keen to avoid another dip in performance which could risk an early flight home. Senegal was on the ropes after losing 2-0 to the Netherlands but wins over Qatar (3-1) and Ecuador (3-1) took the African nation through with a chance to match their best ever World Cup performance.
We have analyzed the game and come up with an England vs Senegal Same Game Parlay, which is available at +1457 odds with FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Be sure to check out the rest of our World Cup soccer predictions and remember to gamble responsibly.
Under 2.5 goals (-162)
Ismaila Sarr to have one or more shots on target (+120)
Nampalys Mendy to be booked (+250)
Same Game Parlay odds: +1457
Let’s check out the reasoning behind each of our selections:
Under 2.5 goals (-162)
All 3 of England‘s knockout-stage games at the last World Cup in Russia in 2018 featured fewer than 2 goals at the end of the first 90 minutes of play and Sunday’s round-of-16 matchup against Senegal is likely to be a low-scoring contest too. England is a far more dangerous team when it can get into an early lead, but often starts games slowly and can lack creativity when opponents play a deep defensive line.
Senegal is not going to make life easy for England and the African nation’s defense, led by Kalidou Koulibaly of EPL team Chelsea, is strong unit. The underdogs are energetic and well-organized and they are unlikely to go down quietly.
Don’t miss our full England vs Senegal predictions
Ismaila Sarr to have one or more shots on target (+120)
Counter-attacks will be Senegal‘s best hope of causing England problems and its best offensive weapon is left-winger Ismaila Sarr. Sarr showed his composure with a nerveless penalty kick against Ecuador, but he was also impressive in his team’s match against the Netherlands, when he looked the most dangerous player on the field.
Sarr’s pace and talent make him difficult to handle and there is every chance of him registering at least 1 shot on target against England on Sunday.
Nampalys Mendy to be booked (+250)
One of the key aspects of Senegal‘s game plan will be to break up English attacks and there will be a heavy responsibility on midfielder Nampalys Mendy. Mendy, who plays in the EPL for Leicester City, is expected to step in for the suspended Idrissa Gueye.
He loves a tackle and was booked twice at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. He was also shown a yellow card in the 2-0 loss against the Netherlands and his name may enter the referee’s notebook once more against England.
Make sure you check out the rest of our World Cup predictions for the upcoming games
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