England vs Ghana Predictions
England impressed in their opening Group L fixture and should have enough quality to claim another World Cup victory.
I fancy England to win with over 2.5 goals scored, with Harry Kane likely to be among the goals at Gillette Stadium.
England Backed to Win Again
- England won 9 of their last 11 matches
- England have seen over 2.5 goals in 5 of their last 8 wins
- England’s Harry Kane scored 9 goals in his last 5 international appearances
- Ghana lost 5 of their last 7 matches
England and Ghana Meet For Second Time
England and Ghana have met once before. The spoils were shared in a 1-1 friendly draw at Wembley in 2011, with Asamoah Gyan scoring a memorable late equaliser for the Black Stars.
England Beat Croatia in Thriller
England face their second Group L fixture after an impressive 4-2 win against Croatia last week. Harry Kane scored twice, while Jude Bellingham also got on the scoresheet in a confidence-boosting victory for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
The Three Lions showed plenty of attacking quality in one of the most entertaining fixtures of the opening round. England had 22 efforts on goals, and an xG of 3.2 as they secured a first 4-2 win at the World Cup since the final in 1966.
Tuchel’s men have enjoyed a strong run of form over the past year. England won seven of their last nine matches. Over 2.5 goals were scored in five of their last eight wins, including their superb opening victory against Croatia.
With Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham impressing against the Croats, England have the firepower to trouble a Ghana side that allowed Panama to enjoy long spells of control last week.
Ghana Strike Late Against Panama
Ghana make the trip to Gillette Stadium after a dramatic 1-0 win against Panama in their opening Group L contest. Caleb Yirenkyi scored five minutes into stoppage time to secure a priceless victory for Carlos Queiroz’s side.
The Black Stars were second best for much of the contest and registered just seven efforts on goal. Even so, Ghana found a way to claim three important points in Toronto.
Panama enjoyed 64% with a total of 12 efforts on goal, but were left empty-handed in a frustrating defeat for the CONCACAF qualifiers.
That late victory was a major boost for Ghana after a poor run of results before the tournament. The Black Stars lost five of seven previous matches, including a humbling 5-1 reversal against Austria.
Competing in the World Cup for the third time in their history, Ghana did reach the round of sixteen in previous appearances in 2006 and 2010.
Squads and Team News
England Squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford
Defenders: Ezri Konsa, Nico O'Reilly, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Trevoh Chalobah, Dan Burn, Reece James, Djed Spence, Jarell Quansah
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze
Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Ollie Watkins, Noni Madueke, Ivan Toney
England boss Thomas Tuchel is expected to keep faith with much of the side that beat Croatia.
Harry Kane should continue to lead the line after scoring twice in the 4-2 victory, while Jude Bellingham should keep his place as the number ten.
Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are pushing for recalls after making an impact from the bench last time out.
Speaking to the media ahead of Tuesday's contest, Tuchel expressed his frustration with the controversial hydration breaks
"I think that it interrupts and changes the identity of a football match much more than I thought. I had hydration breaks before when it was really, really hot and needed, but they were shorter," Tuchel said.
"They were shorter and they were just in a few matches. In the interests of fairness here, it is now done in every match for every team.
"It breaks the match almost in four quarters. And I think it changes the characteristic of the match more than I thought."
Ghana Squad
Goalkeepers: Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Joseph Anang, Benjamin Asare
Defenders: Alidu Seidu, Jonas Adjetey, Abdul Mumin, Gideon Mensah, Abdul Rahman Baba, Jerome Opoku, Kojo Peprah Oppong, Derrick Luckassen, Marvin Senaya
Midfielders: Caleb Yirenkyi, Thomas Partey, Abdul Fatawu, Kwasi Sibo, Antoine Semenyo, Elisha Owusu, Augustine Boakye, Kamaldeen Sulemana
Forwards: Jordan Ayew, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Christopher Bonsu Baah, Inaki Williams, Ernest Nuamah, Prince Kwabena Adu
Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz could keep faith with much of the side that edged past Panama. Brandon Thomas-Asante is pushing to start after setting up Caleb Yirenkyi’s stoppage-time winner.
Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew are expected to spearhead the Ghanaian attack.