England have not lost a competitive game under Thomas Tuchel
Argentina have twice been to extra-time in three knockout ties
Recommended bet: Over 2.5 goals @ 5/4 with LiveScore Bet
Score Prediction: England 2-2 Argentina (at the end of normal time)
A place in the World Cup final beckons for either England or Argentina as they prepare to lock horns in Atlanta on Wednesday evening.
Thomas Tuchel's England have come through exacting knockout ties against DR Congo, Mexico and Norway to contest only their fourth World Cup last-four encounter and just a second since Italia '90.
Argentina, champions of the world in Qatar in 2022, are playing in the last four for the sixth time, with this also being a third semi-final appearance since 1990.
Date, kick-off time, stadium, competition
Wednesday July 15, 8pm BST, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, World Cup semi-finals
Where to Watch
BBC1 & BBC iPlayer
Outright Odds
England – 13/4, Argentina 15/4
More market odds and predictions
Recommended bet | Stat |
|---|---|
Both teams to score | Both teams have scored in Argentina's last four games and in four of England's six at the World Cup |
Jude Bellingham to score or assist | After his double against Norway the Real Madrid ace has six goals and one assist in six games |
Over 2.5 goals | Three more goals have been scored during 90 minutes in six of the 12 games these teams have played |
Declan Rice to be booked | Rice has picked up three bookings in his last six games for club and country. |
World Cup semi-finals tend to be nervous affairs, fraught with tension and the fear of failure as the players involved contemplate how close they are to appearing in the biggest global sporting event that exists.
Argentina got there four years ago and the South American nation are protecting a wonderful record of having won all five World Cup semi-finals they have contested.
For England, the 60 years of hurt that spans from the famous 1966 win on home soil includes two subsequent defeats at this stage, in 1990 on penalties against West Germany and, equally painful, in 2018 after extra time against Croatia.
There have been a dozen World Cup semi-finals since the turn of the century and, of those, only three have produced more than two goals inside 90 minutes.
Caution is hard for any side to avoid at this stage but both England and Argentina have been unconvincing defensively so far.
The Three Lions have leaked six times in six games, only shutting out Ghana and Panama.
Argentina have also been breached six times, including in each of three knockout games so far, just like England.
This looks like a tie that is incredibly difficult to call. Can Messi continue to defy time and guide La Albiceleste to a second successive World Cup final?
The critics suggest they have had the easiest of paths to this point, while the sceptics are convinced officialdom is behind them too.
England laboured past DR Congo and were second-best in many aspects against Norway. In between, they crafted a 2-0 lead against Mexico via a Bellingham double late in the first half but eventually were left manning all stations to survive the Azteca experience.
In Bellingham, the Three Lions have a player making a difference with an eye for goal. He and Harry Kane have six goals each but the rest of Tuchel's squad have scored just a single goal, with nothing since Marcus Rashford scored the clincher in their opener against Croatia.
If Argentina lean too much on Messi's brilliance, then England too are reliant on primary sources.
Messi is starting to get assistance from Lautaro Martinez, a real craftsman, while Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez chipped in with goals against Switzerland as Messi failed to score for the first time in 10 World Cup games.
This really is a game that could go either way but an early goal could tee it up for a see-saw clash that goes against the World Cup semi-final grain.
Strap in for a rollercoaster of emotions in Georgia.
England vs Argentina Team news
England boss Tuchel revealed that Declan Rice spent the best part of three days in bed with illness prior to facing Norway in the last eight.
Rice was replaced at half-time in Miami by Arsenal clubmate Eberechi Eze, with Tuchel suggesting "we made a decision in half-time to become more offensive, to have a bit of an offensive shift".
Ezri Konsa was said to have suffered cramps and tightness in his hamstrings. Marc Guehi shook off an injury to start that match, while Reece James came off the bench to feature for the first time since tweaking his hamstring in the group stage.
Jarrell Quansah is still banned for his red card against Mexico but will be available for either the final or the dreaded third-fourth place play-off game.
Lionel Scaloni appears to have no injury worries in his Argentine squad, though they have twice been pushed to extra-time in three knockout games, as well as having to come from 2-0 down against Egypt.
Messi needed treatment in the win over Switzerland after a knock, but should be fit to lead again. Cristian Romero had been a doubt for the Swiss game but the Spurs defender came through and played 105 minutes, with 38-year-old Nicolas Otamendi playing the second half of extra-time.
Facundo Medina picked up an injury earlier in the tournament and is likely to start on the bench again, with Romero and Lisandro Martinez the go-to pairing in central defence.
Predicted Team Line-Ups
England (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Nico O'Reilly; Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson; Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon; Harry Kane.
Argentina (4-1-3-2): Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Leandro Paredes; Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis MacAllister, Enzo Fernandez; Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez.
England vs Argentina Stats
Lionel Messi has scored or assisted in 10 of Argentina's 17 goals at this World Cup
Jude Bellingham has scored six goals and provided one assist from England's tally of 13 goals at this tournament
The last competitive meeting was at the 2002 World Cup when David Beckham's penalty sealed a 1-0 win for England in the group stage as Argentina crashed out
Including extra-time, each of Argentina's last four games have gone over 3.5 goals
Both teams have scored in four of England's six games
Three-time world champions Argentina are aiming to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962
La Albiceleste have a perfect record at this stage, progressing to the final on all five of their previous appearances in semi-finals
The Three Lions have lost two of their three semi-finals
Score prediction: England 2-2 Argentina (at the end of normal time)
The latest England vs Argentina odds are available on LiveScore Bet
