England Face DR Congo Test in World Cup Last 32

England have navigated their way through the group stage with seven points to spare and now face DR Congo in a World Cup last-32 encounter on Wednesday, July 1. The Africans, meanwhile, are experiencing knockout football on the world's biggest stage for the very first time after an impressive group showing that included a 1-1 draw with Portugal, a 1-0 loss to Colombia, and a convincing 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan.

The victor will make the trip to the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City for a last-16 showdown against either Mexico or Ecuador.

Kick-off and Coverage

The match gets underway at 5pm BST (noon local time) at the Atlanta Stadium. BBC1 will broadcast proceedings from 4pm, whilst BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT will offer full commentary coverage.

England's Injury Woes

The Three Lions have been dealt a frustrating hand in the right-back department. Tino Livramento was ruled out before a ball was even kicked, whilst Reece James limped off during the 0-0 stalemate against Ghana with a hamstring complaint and will sit out the knockout phase's opening fixture.

Jarell Quansah deputised at right-back against Panama in a 2-0 victory but twisted his ankle in the process and remains a significant doubt. Djed Spence appears set for a start, though manager Tuchel could shuffle the pack by moving centre-back Ezri Konsa to the right flank and recalling John Stones to the backline.

Declan Rice was given a breather against Panama to manage a calf issue and should slot straight back into midfield, with Morgan Rogers expected to make way. Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford will be keen to retain their flanking positions after replacing Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon respectively in the Panama encounter.

DR Congo's Shape

Sebastien Desabre's side switched to a 4-4-2 formation for their final group match against Uzbekistan to secure the three points they needed. They're anticipated to revert to the 5-3-2 setup they employed against Portugal and Colombia, with winger Brian Cipenga making way for centre-back Steve Kapuadi.

Up front, Real Betis' Cedric Bakambu will partner Newcastle's Yoanne Wissa, who has already bagged three goals at the tournament. Interestingly, both Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe represented England at Under-21 level before switching allegiances to the Congolese side.

The Odds and Predictions

England come in as heavy 3/10 favourites to win in 90 minutes, with DR Congo priced at 15/1 and the draw available at 19/4. In the qualifying market, the Three Lions are 1/8 to progress, whilst DR Congo sit at 7/1. As tournament outsiders, England remain joint-third favourites at 15/2, level with Spain but behind France and Argentina.

DR Congo's defensive resilience has been striking—they've conceded more than one goal just once in their last 15 matches, a run encompassing tests against Nigeria, Senegal, Algeria, Denmark, Portugal, and Colombia. That miserly record suggests a tight contest.

England dominated possession during the group stage, averaging 65.3%, whilst DR Congo managed just 38.5% from 38th place. The African side will likely employ the tactic that nearly worked for Ghana: sitting deep, clogging the middle, and hoping to catch England on the break.

Notably, all three of England's group matches were level at the interval—including a 2-2 scoreline against Croatia and 0-0 stalemates in the other two. That pattern points towards a Draw-England Half-Time Full-Time bet at 16/5.

A narrow England victory looks the likeliest outcome, with 1-0 available at 11/2, whilst England winning by a single goal can be backed at 13/5.

Harry Kane, who netted against Panama, has now become England's all-time leading World Cup goalscorer. The striker will be hungry for more, priced at 4/5 to score anytime.