In their last friendly ahead of the Euros, Gareth Southgate’s men will host Romania at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough. England won their last friendly against Austria (1-0), and will be eyeing to enter Euro 2020 on the back of two consecutive, morale-boosting victories.
The English team have been amongst headlines in the last few days, and not because of their performances on their field. The squad selection by their head coach raised a few eyebrows as four right-backs made it to the 26-man squad.
However, it has now come down to three, after Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold sustained an injury in the last game against Austria. Southgate will announce his replacement only after this match, which might also mean that the game will serve as a virtual audition for the players who did not make the cut initially.
England’s performance against Austria was far from convincing, but given that they got the job done while also keeping a clean sheet, it shouldn’t bother them too much. Their defence, despite severe scrutiny, has been pretty solid in recent months. In their last five matches, England have conceded only one goal, which is a big reason behind them winning all of those matches.
Romania played very well in the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League, which subsequently handed them a place in the qualifying playoffs of Euro 2020. But ever since then, things have only gone downhill for the Tricolorii.
They lost 2-1 against Iceland in that playoff match, and have since lost five of their next nine matches. They will certainly be the underdogs for the game in Middlesborough, but their past record against England is something they might seek inspiration from. They have beaten the Three Lions thrice, including a famous 2-1 victory at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Key Players
Borussia winger Jadon Sancho did not play any part in the friendly match against Austria, but he is likely to feature in this game. One of the most sought-after youngsters in world football has played 18 games for his nation and scored thrice, including two goals in the qualifying stages of Euro 2020. The 21-year-old scored 16 goals in 38 games for Dortmund outfit last season and played a crucial role in their DFB Pokal triumph.
Speaking of playing a crucial role in title triumph, Chelsea’s Mason Mount is arguably the first Englishman from the current squad that will come to everyone’s mind. The midfielder had a fantastic season for the London-based club, as he went on to score 9 goals in 54 games. He also provided the all-important assist in the Champions League final. For the Three Lions, he has scored 4 times in 16 matches.
Harry Kane played a big part in the last game against Austria. Hence, the skipper is expected to be provided with some rest by Southgate. In such a situation, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is likely to lead the lines for England. The Everton striker has had a wonderful season, which saw him scoring 21 goals in 39 matches. In his 8 appearances for England, he has scored 4 goals.
Romania will have their hopes of scoring goals pinned on their reliable striker Claudiu Keseru. The 34-year-old is the leading goal-scorer from their current squad with 14 goals in 44 appearances. He has had a good season for Bulgarian side Ludogorets Razgrad, where he scored 16 goals in 29 matches.
Prediction
Despite England’s poor record against Romania, they will undoubtedly be the outright favourites for this clash. Southgate’s team will be high on confidence, having won nine of their last twelve matches.
They will also be able to avail the services of players who played in the UCL final in Raheem Sterling, Mount and Reece James, who were not available for the match against Austria.
Romania’s poor run of form is also likely to work in their favour. Mirel Radoi’s team have lost all of their last three matches, and their last defeat came against Georgia – a team that are more than 40 places below them in the FIFA World Ranking. Considering all of these factors, England are expected to come out victorious in this game, and possibly without breaking much sweat.
