England v DR Congo prediction and preview: A nervy 90 minutes ahead - at least

England begin their World Cup knockout campaign against DR Congo on Wednesday aiming to improve on a pair of performances that have got fans worrying.

England were widely praised for their opening group stage win over Croatia, but a 0-0 draw against Ghana and then a 2-0 win over Panama in which both goals came in the second have somewhat dampened spirits.

Maybe it’s to be expected. Speaking to fans before the World Cup as part of Operation Ladisfaction with Ladbrokes, 29% said their excitement peaked not during the action itself but once the draw was made. A very British answer indeed!

But while the past two results definitely haven’t provided much in the way of Ladisfaction, England are into the last 32 and strong favourites to progress to the next stage. With 20% of fans telling us they wouldn’t even bother tuning in until the knockouts, maybe this is where the Three Lions put on a performance to get the country believing again.

The players to watch out for

DR Congo - Arthur Masuako

With a two-man attack, DR Congo likes to play towards a target man and have high-flying wide players that join in to feed Yoanne Wissa inside the six-yard box. It's a method they have deployed brilliantly, as well as defending as if their lives were on the line.

One player who epitomises both of those aspects of their gameplay is Arthur Masuako. Premier League fans will recognise him for being integral to Sunderland this past season, after a previous stint at West Ham United, operating as a left back who cannot resist bombing forward on a counter attack.

We’ve already seen Panama cause England problems with overlapping runs on the left, leaving Bukayo Saka to track much deeper than he’d like to, in the wake of having no experienced right backs left after Reece James’ injury.

If Masuako brings the V8 engine in his lungs that he has done to every other game, it’ll be a big task to keep track of him on the counter, serving as the spare man out wide. He’s also a great one-on-one defender like Wan Bissaka on the other side, and will take no prisoners if there’s a loose touch.

England - Harry Kane

We all know Harry Kane and his impact on a football pitch, but in back-to-back games against deep back lines, we’ve hardly seen anything from the England talisman. While Saka will be one of the most important players in terms of his defensive duties too, England will need Kane to step up with some more movement and linking-up play.

DR Congo is expected to operate in a similar way to Ghana and Panama, especially after seeing how effective it is against England, which will see Jude Bellingham and either Declan Rice or Morgan Rogers have the responsibility of getting near Kane.

But it would be prudent for Kane to remember that he is the main forward and to kick his midfielders to the curb when operating in his space. As much as England need to supply Kane better, the Bayern Munich man can step up his game too, in terms of movement and leadership, without dropping too deep.

Where the tie will be won

England has been relatively comfortable so far, getting away with a few scares against Ghana on the break, but controlling games for the most part, with many thanks to Elliot Anderson. But where this game will be won for either team is the flanks.

Both teams will be tightly contested in the middle of the park, but the wingers and fullbacks on both sides are extremely active. For DR Congo, the game plan is counter-attacks, so if the likes of Nico O’Reilly is caught on an inverted run towards the box, it leaves huge gaps to be exploited.

Equally, the full-backs for Congo are strong in defence, but can be nullified with overlaps from England’s wide defenders, or underlaps from midfield runners like Jude Bellingham.

Don’t expect a thrilling high-scoring tie flush with goals, and be prepared to watch one of the hardest-working teams in the tournament to try to cause an upset.

READ MORE: England route to final confirmed after Panama win including potential nightmare last 16 tie

Who will come out on top?

In our LADnation Survey with Ladbrokes, only 2% of fans said they expected England to go out at the round-of-32 stage. Only 3% felt they would fall at the next stage, which would be against Mexico or Ecuador, with a whopping 67% backing the Three Lions to make it to at least the semi-finals.

By the manager's own admission, Thomas Tuchel’s men will definitely need to improve on their last couple of performances if that’s to be the case, but given DR Congo finished third in their group, only beating Uzbekistan, it would be a surprise - and major disappointment - if England were not able to make it through.

However, DR Congo held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their opening game and were only beaten 1-0 by Colombia so we expect another tight, nervy game. Indeed, England are 1/12 to progress with Ladbrokes but a much shorter 1/4 to do it in 90 minutes.

England to win in extra-time is tempting at 10/1, but we expect an improved, more intense, performance and ultimately a 2-0 win. Nervy but routine. We’d take it.

The Round of 32 game between England and DR Congo takes place at the Atlanta Stadium at 5pm on Wednesday, July 1 (12pm local time).