Wales vs England Preview & Recap
Rivalry Match and Group Stage Decider
âš½Wales vs England: Game Recapâš½
Results: Wales 0-3 England
Two goals in a minute from Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden helped England end Wales’ resistance to top Group B and set up a round-of-16 date with Senegal.
The match started to slow as Wales defended on the back foot for most, if not all, of the first half. Then, after 30 minutes, pulses soared as Harry Maguire slalomed forward, only to hit one of the hardest-hit crosses humanity has ever witnessed. England was sitting on 75% possession, Foden fired over, Rashford shinned a bicycle kick wide, and England forced some corners. It wasn’t a superb half of football, but a few levels above sterile.
What would the second half bring? How about two goals in one minute and 36 seconds? The opener came when Marcus Rashford knuckled home a direct free-kick. Then, within a minute, England scored again! This time it was Phil Foden, slotting home from Harry Kane’s no-look pass in what would be his third assist of the World Cup.
Rashford added a third in the 68th minute, running onto a ball and scoring a rare left-footed goal for him, which also counted as England’s 100th in World Cup finals history.
Meanwhile, Foden is England’s sixth different scorer already at the 2022 World Cup. At no other tournament have they had a more extensive spread. Rashford added a third in the 68th minute, running onto a ball and scoring a rare left-footed goal for him, which also counted as England’s 100th in World Cup finals history.
Captain Kane and the returning Kyle Walker were also brought off before the hour for a rest, but will the match be the last in a Wales shirt for Gareth Bale? The Los Angeles FC forward was replaced at half-time, having made just seven touches in the first half.
England will need to improve again, but they are through, and that’s all that matters.
 Wales | – |  England |
|---|---|---|
| 36% | Possession | 64% |
| 7 | Total Shots | 18 |
| 1 | Shots on Target | 7 |
| 3 | Shots Wide | 6 |
| 3 | Shots Blocked | 5 |
| 4 | Saves | 1 |
| 1 | Corners | 6 |
| 2 | Yellow Cards | 0 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 16 | Fouls | 9 |
| 1 | Offsides | 1 |
| 78% | Pass Accuracy | 89% |
| 0 | Dribbles | 7 |
| 2 | Crosses | 14 |
| 11 | Tackles | 6 |
Did We Get It Right?
Below you will find all the predictions we made before the matchup, on November 25, 2022.
One of the Oldest Matches in Football Finds a New Venue
England first played Wales all the way back in 1879. Yet, after 143 years they’ve never faced off at a World Cup before. Now, they’re playing in a high stakes group stage finale at Qatar 2022. Wales absolutely need to win to advance to the knockout stage but they’re not completely in control of their fate. Meanwhile, England will be through to the round of 16 unless they lose by three or more goals. We’ll cover all the latest news and odds in our Wales vs England preview.
Wales vs England
Date, time (TV):
Location: Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al-Rayyan, Qatar
Streaming: FS1, Telemundo, Peacock
Team Standings and Odds:
| Team | FIFA World Ranking | World Cup Qualifying Record | Knockout Stage Odds | Odds to Win Group | Odds to Win World Cup |
| Wales | 19 | 6-3-1, 2nd UEFA Group E | +2500 | +100000 | +100000 |
| England | 5 | 8-2-0, 1st UEFA Group I | N/A | -600 | +850 |
| All Meetings: | Teams |
|---|---|
| Oct 2020: | England 3-0 Wales |
| Jun 2016: | England 2-1 Wales |
| Sep 2011: | England 1-0 Wales |
| Mar 2011: | Wales 0-2 England |
| Sep 2005: | Wales 0-1 England |
The Great Britain rivalry between Wales and England has been one of the most played fixtures in international soccer history. Still, our Wales vs England Preview notes that this is the first-ever World Cup meeting between them. England have dominated the all-time series, with 68 wins, 14 losses and 21 draws. England have won the last six meetings and most recently defeated Wales in a 2020 friendly, 3-0. The only other meeting at a major tournament was at Euro 2016, when England beat Wales 2-1.
Wales: Disappointing Finish vs. Iran
Standings: 0-1-1, 4th
Previous Match: L, 0-2 vs. Iran
Wales rescued a point vs. the USA in their opening match with a late Gareth Bale penalty. For a while, it looked like they’d continue their momentum into Friday’s match vs. Iran. Kieffer Moore had a 12th minute header saved by Iran keeper Hossein Hosseini and Wales looked lively. Iran had a goal called back by VAR and the match went into halftime all square.
Then, Iran had the better chances after the break and Rob Page’s Wales were sometimes on the back foot. Iran hit the post twice and Wales goalie Wayne Hennessey was called into action on a few occasions. He made a great save 73 minutes in but that was his last positive contribution. Hennessey came out of his box to stop Iran’s Mehdi Taremi with a dangerous high boot. He was sent off and Iran capitalized on their advantage. Team Melli scored twice in stoppage time to hand Wales their first loss of the World Cup.
It was a highly disappointing result for a Welsh team listed as +115 favorites. Now, with Hennessey suspended, they’ll need to defeat England to have any chance of advancing to their first-ever knockout stage. There’s also speculation that star player Gareth Bale could retire after the FIFA World Cup 2022. Perhaps the most iconic Welsh player has one last trick up his sleeve here.
England: Toothless in Second Match
Standings: 1-1-0, 1st
Previous Match: D, 0-0 vs. USA
England looked nearly unstoppable in their 6-2 opening win over Iran. Bukayo Saka starred with two goals and they attacked with vigor in the match. Then, they seemed to have forgotten what worked vs. Iran in their match vs. the USA. Harry Kane had an early chance blocked but England looked mostly non-threatening. The US were more daring in attack and combined better in the final third. Christian Pulisic gave England a scare with a thundering shot that hit the post.
The Three Lions weren’t much better after the break and had to absorb a lot of USA pressure. He’s been much maligned by Manchester United fans but center back Harry Maguire was strong at the back. Kane, who was nursing an injury coming into the game, didn’t look like his usual self, though. It wasn’t until Jack Grealish came on the pitch that England looked lively again. Regardless, the match finished scoreless and the England fans booed them off the pitch.
England are still in first place in the Group B FIFA World Cup 2022 standings and will almost certainly go through. They’re priced at -600 odds to win the group and a win will do as much. Concerningly, the Three Lions have won only one of their last eight matches. We’ve already seen the two sides of England just two matches in but expect them to be more aggressive come Tuesday.
Match Analysis and Odds:
Our Wales vs England Preview notes that England enter the match as one-goal favorites. They show -155 odds to cover the goal-line and their moneyline comes in at -245 odds. England can extend their winning streak over Wales to seven. Meanwhile, Wales haven’t defeated England since 1984 and come in at +700 odds to reverse the trend.
He’s the only Welsh player to score vs. the Three Lions since 1984 and found the net on a free kick in their Euro 2016 meeting
Missing their number one keeper, Wales will rely on Leicester City’s Danny Ward in net. Bale & Co. sit at +135 odds to cover the one-goal spread. If Bale can produce a moment of magic in the match, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s scored vs. England. He’s the only Welsh player to score vs. the Three Lions since 1984 and found the net on a free kick in their Euro 2016 meeting.
England need to exploit Wales’ weaknesses at the back. Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka are capable of torching the Welsh fullbacks and more players need to get involved in attack. Goals are expected in the first World Cup meeting between these two teams. Over 2½ goals sits at -125 odds and Wales could leave themselves exposed going for the goal they need. In any case, expect a great atmosphere in this rivalry match.
