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Who, When And Where: The Permutations For England And Belgium's Match

Who, When And Where: The Permutations For England And Belgium's Match

The final match of Group G is between the two sides who are already through but would England and Belgium prefer to finish first or second.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

On Thursday evening England will face their biggest challenge yet of the World Cup as they and Belgium face to decide who tops the group, but is it better for either side to lose the game?

From no hope to all the expectation. That's what England's opening two games of the World Cup have brought thanks to excellent performances, lots of goals and everyone else being a bit rubbish.

The Three Lions first half hammering of Panama, that followed the last gasp winner by Harry Kane in the Tunisia game, took Gareth Southgate's team through to the Second Round with a game to play.

That game though is against Belgium, the only major favourite of the tournament who there is yet to be questions of after two convincing wins of their own.

With both sides through there is little pressure and just the order of the pair to sort out, though that will have a major ramifications going forward in the tournament.

Finishing first in the group, which England likely only need a draw to do so, will mean facing Group H's second place finishers, either Japan, Colombia or Senegal on Monday, at 7pm in Rostov.

Finishing second will mean facing one of those sides but on Tuesday at 7pm, this time at the Spartak Stadium.

Kane celebrates scoring his side's second. Image: PA Images
Kane celebrates scoring his side's second. Image: PA Images

Who exactly finishes first and second in Group H is currently up in the air, though Poland are out, right now Japan are top with Sengal in second though a win for Colombia over the Africans would see them qualify for sure.

Japan only need a draw to qualify and a win would see them qualify top unless Senegal beat Colombia by a bigger score. Right now it looks like Colombia would qualify ahead of Japan in second.

If Southgate's side top the group and then win in the last 16 then they'd likely face the winner of Brazil vs Germany in the quarters, though neither of those sides are guaranteed to finish in the first and second spots in their groups respectively.

That would be at 7pm on July 6 at the Kazan Arena.

Belgium found it easy against Tunisia. Image: PA Images
Belgium found it easy against Tunisia. Image: PA Images

Finishing as runner up in the group for the 1966 champions would likely mean a quarter final, should they make it through, against Mexico, Switzerland or Serbia at 3pm on July 7 at the Samara Arena.

It's barely worth looking past Belgium just yet but it's certainly not worth looking past the quarters for what could happen.

To finish top England merely need a draw and to avoid more yellows than their opponents but a Belgium win would see them finish top.

Will England go all out for the win?

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Topics: Football News, Belgium, Russia 2018, World Cup news, England, World Cup