- Recent form: Mexico have won five on the spin, with away wins over Czech Republic (3-0) and Ecuador (2-0) their last two results.
- Form: England have won four of their last five, including a 2-0 win away to Panama and a 2-1 victory over DR Congo in their most recent fixture.
- Recent stats: England have kept shutouts in both away games across all competitions (W2, D0, L0), while Mexico have conceded just two goals in nine home matches (W7, D2, L0).
Tight affair on the cards in Mexico
Tactical set-up:
The two teams meet in Mexico City Stadium on Monday and this one feels more like a tactical chess match than a runaway. Thomas Tuchel has got England set up with a flexible system that can switch between a 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3 when necessary, but the premise is always the same – control, structure, and verticality.
Form and threats:
Javier Aguirre has Mexico set up in a 4-3-3 system that has given them the basis to be the dominant force in the knockout stage so far. They are compact, physical, and can be incredibly combative when required, but the best way to describe Mexico right now is fast. They break quickly, they transition quickly and they get forward quickly, which suits the talents of their players.
- The Three Lions have won seven of their last ten across all competitions (D2, L1), a run that has seen them come back with a 2-0 away win over Panama and a 2-1 success against DR Congo in their most recent match.
- The players that are taking their chances at the moment are Harry Kane, who has four goals across the last five, and Anthony Gordon, who has three assists during the same period.
Best bet is a cagey one
Mexico are on a five-match winning streak coming into this one, beating Czech Republic and Ecuador in their two most recent fixtures. The goal they scored against Ecuador in that 2-0 win was their only goal in the knockout stage so far, but their record of conceding just two in nine at home across all competitions makes this game a tough one to call.
Under 2.5 goals at 1.67 seems to fit the feeling of this game, which looks set to be cagey and not one where a team is going to run away with it. Mexico have been extremely good in their recent outings and have a structure that makes them hard to break down, so I don't think England will walk through this fixture in the same way that Spain did against Costa Rica. Julian Quinones has been Mexico's sharpest finisher so far, scoring their only goal in the knockout stages of the competition, but Harry Kane will have a lot to say in the outcome.
