England continue their World Cup campaign against the USA on Friday and Racing Post tipster James Milton expects an intriguing contest.
This article was originally published on 24 November 2022
The Three Lions made a spectacular start to the tournament, beating Iran 6-2, but they face a different challenge against a youthful States side who drew 1-1 with Wales in their opener.
What: England v USA, World Cup
Where: Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar
When: 19:00, Friday 25th November
How to watch: ITV
Odds: England 4/7, USA 9/2, Draw 16/5
Impressive England aiming to kick on against USA
After a winless 2022/23 Nations League campaign in which they failed to score from open play in their first five matches, England turned on the style in their World Cup opener against Iran.
Gareth Southgate's men, whose Euro 2020 group-stage results were 1-0 wins over Croatia and the Czech Republic and a 0-0 draw with Scotland, beat Team Melli 6-2 with youngsters Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka to the fore.
England are 4/7 to follow up with a victory over the USA, who are 9/2 to burst the Three Lions' bubble in Al Khor.
Given the quality of England's attacking play against Iran, they are certainly backable at those odds, although enthusiasm is tempered by the fact that striker Harry Kane is having a scan on an ankle injury sustained in Monday's opener.
Kane played an influential part in the win over Iran despite not getting on the scoresheet and he is 3/1 to be the First Goalscorer with Newcastle's Callum Wilson - a possible understudy for the England captain - 9/2.
Wilson's only international goal came against the USA in a friendly in November 2018.
Harry Maguire, like Kane, is a slight doubt but the Manchester United defender demonstrated his aerial threat from set-piece situations once again in the Iran game, hitting the post, and he is of interest at 11/1 in the Anytime Goalscorer betting.
Maguire scored four goals in just 585 minutes during England's World Cup qualifying campaign, also notching against Ukraine in the Euro 2020 quarter-final and forcing Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel into a brilliant save in the semis. He is 18/1 to score a header against the USA.
USA may struggle to land a blow
The USA produced an enterprising first-half display against Wales on Monday and they were rewarded with a smartly-taken 36th-minute goal from Timothy Weah, set up by Chelsea's Christian Pulisic.
Gareth Bale's late penalty earned Wales a 1-1 draw and that was also the scoreline when England played the US in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup. Another 1-1 can be backed at 15/2 in the Correct Score market.
The USA looked less comfortable once Kieffer Moore was brought on as a half-time substitute and it will be interesting to see whether they take the game to England early on or opt for a more cautious approach.
They had failed to score in seven of their last ten matches outside the United States before the clash with Wales and Weah's goal was their only shot on target. England kept clean sheets in their first five games at Euro 2020 and they are a tempting bet at 6/4 to win to nil.
England youngsters brimming with confidence
The Goals Over/Under market suggests England are in for a far more cagey contest than they had against Iran and punters can get 1/1 about Under 2.5 Goals, which has been a winning bet in five of the USA's last six internationals.
However, England showed against Iran that they have attacking threats all over the pitch and a couple of their young stars catch the eye in the Player Shots On Target Over/Under betting.
Arsenal's Saka is 10/11 to have Over 0.5 Shots On Target against the USA and he will be full of confidence after scoring twice against Iran.
He claimed four goals in his last nine Premier League appearances before the World Cup, also racking up three shots on target in a Europa League game against PSV, and he will be keen to test his Gunners team-mate Matt Turner in the USA goal.
Bellingham is 6/5 to register a shot on target after scoring his first international goal with a well-directted header against Iran.
The teenager, like Saka, has had a great start to the 2022/23 club season, scoring four goals in five Champions League appearances for Borussia Dortmund, and he should have licence to get forward against the US.
