England vs Iran Preview

Euro 2020 finalists England will begin their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign this Monday with a game against Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.

The Three Lions, by their ranking by FIFA and team quality, come into this tournament as one of the favourites. Gareth Southgate’s men are currently ranked Number 5 and are ranked ahead of every team in their group, which includes USA and Wales.

They have enjoyed relative successes in their last two international tournaments with a semifinal exit in the 2018 World Cup followed by a narrow final loss in the European Championship against Italy last year.

Under Southgate, they have gradually improved their performances in tournaments and will be hoping they can get across the finish line on this occasion. However, the Three Lions come into this tournament in dreadful form.

Southgate’s side are winless in their last six matches (D3, L3), which subsequently saw them suffer UEFA Nations League relegation while scoring just four times.

However, having breezed through their qualifying group by going unbeaten (W8, D2) while scoring 39 goals and conceding just three (that was the best group-stage goal difference for any European qualifier), they will fancy their chances of winning this group.

Meanwhile, amidst the controversy and violence brewing back at home, Iran’s national team will look to make the most of their participation in this year’s World Cup.

The Middle Eastern team are making it to their third straight World Cup finals after they ended 2018 with successive second-round qualifying defeats.

They come into this tie with 13 wins in their last 15 competitive games (D1, L1). They have also kept six clean sheets in their last ten games and have failed to score only twice in their previous 20 games.

Like their opponents, Iran also enjoyed a remarkable run in the qualification stage winning eight of their ten qualifier games (D1, L1) to finish top of their group.

Their hope will now be to translate their good form into wins and valuable points as they face England in their first-ever head-to-head meeting.