Who could England face in the World Cup 2018 knockout stages? Possible last 16 opponents for Three Lions

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Andy Hampson26 June 2018

England are through to the last 16 of the World Cup but will only discover their opponents after the final round of group fixtures.

The Three Lions edged past Tunisia with a last-gasp Harry Kane header in their opening game and followed it up with the rout of Panama days later.

Kane scored a hat-trick in that 6-1 victory to take his tally for the tournament to five and fire the Tottenham man to the top of the Golden Boot charts, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku.

Few will fancy playing the Spurs man in this form, but who is in England's line of fire?

Group G P W D L F A Pts
England (Q) 2 2 0 0 8 2 6
Belgium (Q) 2 2 0 0 8 2 6
Tunisia 2 0 0 2 2 8 0
Panama 2 0 0 2 1 9 0

Here, we look at the sides they could face..

Japan

REUTERS

Form: The surprise leaders of Group H after two matches following an impressive defeat of 10-man Colombia and entertaining draw with Senegal.

Style: A fluid and counter-attacking side, with Shinji Kagawa and Makoto Hasebe moving the ball in midfield and looking to feed wingers Genki Haraguchi and Takashi Inui. Impressive going forward but a weak defence can be left exposed.

Look out for: Shinji Kagawa, Takashi Inui, Shinji Okazaki

Verdict: One to face

Memorable moments of the World Cup 2018 so far

Senegal

REUTERS

Form: Saw off Poland in their opener and then drew 2-2 in an entertaining clash with Japan.

Style: Another attractive side based on pace and power but with a bit of steel in midfield. Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is their chief threat up front but 19-year-old right-back Moussa Wague looks a handful out wide, charging forward and delivering dangerous crosses.

Look out for: Sadio Mane, M'Baye Niang, Moussa Wague

Verdict: One to face

Colombia

REUTERS

Form: Bounced back after their unexpected defeat by Japan with a convincing 3-0 rout of Poland.

Style: A top-heavy attacking side that exploits its strengths with quick and incisive link-up play. The forwards in their 4-2-3-1 line-up, including 2014 tournament star James Rodriguez, boast individual quality to rival the best teams in the competition.

Look out for: Radamel Falcao, Juan Cuadrado, Juan Quintero

Verdict: One to avoid

World Cup profile: Colombia
Group H P W D L F A Pts
Japan 2 1 1 0 4 3 4
Senegal 2 1 1 0 4 3 4
Colombia 2 1 0 1 2 2 3
Poland 2 0 0 2 1 5 0
England's all-time highest World Cup goal scorers

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