Netherlands and England looking to take command of their groups


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Host nation Qatar will be looking to put their first points on the board in Group A, while England target more of the same against the United States on Friday.
 
The action gets underway in Al Rayyan as Wales and Iran meet for the first time at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
 
The Dragons earned a precious point in their Group B opener against the United States on Monday when Gareth Bale's 82nd-minute penalty rescued a 1-1 draw after Timothy Weah had opened the scoring in the 36th minute.
 
Team Melli made the worst possible start as they suffered a heavy 6-2 defeat to England, although one bright spot saw Mehdi Taremi get on the scoresheet twice in the second half.
 
Senegal will be eyeing an improved performance against Qatar at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.
 
The Lions of Teranga opened their World Cup campaign with a 2-0 loss to the Netherlands and there are question marks over first-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
 
The Chelsea shotstopper was at fault for both goals on Monday, having misjudged a cross to allow Cody Gakpo to head home into an open net on 84 minutes and he palmed the ball straight into the path of Davy Klaassen to score in stoppage time.

Harry Kane

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Senegal head coach Aliou Cisse insists they have even more motivated by the setback against the Dutch and will be aiming to get their challenge back on track in the Qatari capital.
 
"If we had won, we would have got off to the best way but now the second game can be difficult and we have to make sure we win it," Cisse said. "The fact we have lost will motivate us even more to be better prepared for next games."
 
The Maroon slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Ecuador on Sunday, which was likely their best chance of claiming a win in Group A.
 
Felix Sanchez's side had prepared extensively for the global showpiece, playing 12 friendlies and another nine unofficial friendlies this year to get themselves ready but they are now in danger of failing to get over the first hurdle as hosts.
 
Netherlands will be looking to make it two wins from two in Group A when they take on Ecuador at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan.
 
Louis van Gaal's side left it late to see off Senegal on Monday and they should have put the game to bed earlier but Frenkie de Jong dallied on the ball too long in the first half before being crowded out inside the box, while an unmarked Virgil van Dijk failed to hit the target with a header at the start of the second half.
 
Van Dijk admitted they tried to force the issue against the African champions and will look to address that in their next match.
 
"We won but we also know that we can and must do better. Going forward we sometimes tried to force things, and we too often left ourselves exposed to Senegal's counter-attacks," the Liverpool defender said.
 
La Tri will be in confident mood for the clash with the Oranje after their fine display against Qatar on Monday. Enner Valencia's first-half brace secured all three points to boost their chances of reaching the last 16 for the first time since 2006.
 
England have their tails up as they prepare to face United States at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
 
The Three Lions showed a ruthless efficiency as they put six goals past Iran on Monday to get back to winning ways after a poor UEFA Nations League campaign, which saw them draw three and lose three of their six group games.
 
Gareth Southgate's side never looked back after Jude Bellingham opened the scoring on 35 minutes, with Bukayo Saka (43', 62'), Raheem Sterling (45+1'), Marcus Rashford (73') and Jack Grealish (90') also getting on the scoresheet.
 
However, Southgate was disappointed that Iran were allowed to pull two goals back in the second half and he has urged his players to lift their game against the Stars and Stripes.
 
"At the end of the game, to concede two goals the way we did is not the level we need. We need to be better than we were today against the USA because they will be coming for us full throttle. We will have to reset," he said.
 
"I don't like games that drift and there were so many added minutes in both halves. I understand games drift, but that won't be enough for us to progress. We still have a lot to do to qualify."
 
USA were just eight minutes away from making a winning start to the tournament before Bale restored parity from the spot. Walker Zimmerman reacted too slowly after the Welsh superstar got ahead of him inside the box and paid the price for a poor challenge from behind.
 
Gregg Berhalter's side cannot afford to make similar mistakes against the English, who will have no hesitation in punishing them. 
 

World Cup fixtures - Friday, November 25

 
12h00: Wales v Iran
 
15h00: Qatar v Senegal
 
18h00: Netherlands v Ecuador
 
21h00: England v United States
 

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Published: 11/24/2022