England vs Iran: Three Lions look to jump-start World Cup
England will be looking to kick off their 2022 FIFA World Cup on a high note when they take on Iran for their first group stage game. The Three Lions and Iran will be meeting for the first time in international competition on Monday evening as Gareth Southgate’s side aim to put behind the hurt suffered in their last two major competitions.
Four years ago, England were painfully close to making it to their first World Cup final since 1966, only to be cruelly denied as Croatia managed to snatch a late goal and make it to the final. Last year, the Three Lions did get to a major final at the rescheduled EURO 2020 competition, but were beaten on spot-kicks by Italy.
Italy, for their part, didn’t qualify for this World Cup – their second in a row – so there will be no opportunity for the Three Lions to get revenge there, but they just may be able to take on Croatia at some point. In any case, there are some major concerns about Southgate’s team heading into this competition, especially considering their performance during the recent Nations League. Indeed, England had a shockingly poor Nations League campaign, which saw them fail to win any of their matches and suffer an embarrassing demotion to League B. In addition, England also struggled for goals, and were not able to find the back of the net from open play until a three-all draw against Germany on the last matchday.
This means that England are currently winless in their last six competitive matches, and will be obviously keen to avoid making it a seventh sans victory in order to assuage concerns some have about this team’s ability to perform at the World Cup. Four years ago, Harry Kane won the top scorers’ prize with six goals at the 2018 edition, but was unable to lead his team to victory as England ended up settling for fourth spot. It goes without saying that Kane and his colleagues will be under pressure to get things right, and that will start with their upcoming match against Iran, which could set the stage for their tougher tests against Wales and the USMNT.
Iran, for their part, will be featuring in their third consecutive World Cup. To date, they have never gotten out of the group stage, and come into this contest shrouded in controversy, both due to their association with Russia as well as protests that have engulfed the nation following the death of a young woman in police custody.
In terms of football, Iran have struggled at World Cups, with just two wins from their last 15 in this competition. One was against Morocco four years ago, and the other against the USMNT back in 1998 – which will make a very interesting sub plot-line as the USA prepare to face them later this month. Despite having lost just three of their last 22 games across all comps, Team Melli have a poor record against European teams, and to date, have never beaten a European side in eight prior competitive meetings, with losses in six of those. Goals have been hard to come by for Iran at World Cups, and for all intents and purposes, they look likely to struggle against England – despite the Three Lions’ poor form coming into this competition.
England will have to make do without two players, with Manchester City’s Kyle Walker and Leicester City’s James Maddison still not fit, but other from that, Southgate doesn’t have any injuries or other concerns heading into this contest. Youngsters like Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka have been quite dynamic and according to numerous reports, will be rewarded for his excellent form with a spot in England’s starting XI.
All in all, the stage is set for England to bounce back after a disappointing Nations League campaign, and more significant, heartbreak during their last two major competitions. Will they seize the opportunity, starting with what should be a straightforward match against Iran on Monday?
