A lethal England has eliminated Senegal from the World Cup and will challenge France in the stellar duel of the quarter-finals

Maybe England doesn’t look like it. Maybe she leaves the games for a while. However, it became clear this Sunday evening at the distant Al Bayt Stadium, in Al Khor, north of Doha, that it’s a deadly team. He proved it against Iran and Wales in the group stage. ratified with an unappealable victory against a decimated Senegal, who could never have replaced the irreplaceable Sadio Mané and went too far in this World Cup. It was 3-0, with a stunning performance by Harry Kanewho managed the team when he was just a few meters away and was also able to pull the plug by shouting goals at Qatar 2022, just before the clash with Kylian Mbappé’s fearsome France, in what will undoubtedly be the stellar duel of the quarter-finals of end of end

Better planted England started. However, Gareth Southgate’s side, who surprised by leaving Marcus Rashford on the bench, lacked depth and connectivity. In the first minutes, the British were planted in the rival field. And the best situations happened when the ball went through the feet of a Kane who hurt when he threw himself back.

As the minutes go by, England flattened. He went. And Senegal began to encourage themselves to play. And also to hang out the area of ​​the ever-watchful Jordan Pickford. It was Ismalia Sarr, the Watford player, who found a loose ball in the area from six meters after a bad start by a clumsy Harry Maguire, but failed in front of the goalkeeper’s quick reaction. In that game there had been a check by the VAR for a possible penalty, but nothing had happened.

He wasn’t the only one from Senegal. Not even the riskiest situation. Because Boulaye Dia, the Africans’ only striker, filtered through John Stones’ sector and unleashed a powerful shot that found Pickford’s left arm, stationary like a post, parrying zero on his goal.

It seemed that Senegal had taken the lead in the party. But that was only for a while. Because Kane has re-entered the scene and found an ideal partner in Jude Bellingham. It is that the Borussia Dortmund midfielder, who had been the great figure in his debut with a victory against Iran, appeared again in all his glory to get the game and the table back on track in the last ten minutes of the first half.

Bellingham, after a deep pass from bowler Kane, overflowed down the left and took in a low cross which found the ever-supporting Jordan Henderson close to the spot. The Liverpool captain defined first and gave the good Edouard Mendy no chance. It was the first moment of the evening where the English fans managed to win the battle of decibels against the boisterous Senegalese, who are serious about never stopping cheering. They never stopped. Not deleted.

Nor did Bellingham and Kane stop in that furious final stretch, this time with Phil Foden as a supporting actor. Aliou Cissé’s team launched in search of an equalizer when Bellingham recovered on the pitch, accelerated with the same movement as Messi and launched for Foden, who with first class and with so much class left Kane alone against Mendy. It was control and right hand to go up 2-0 at the interval and with a lot of the scent of a liquidated match.

Cissé, up against a rock and a hammer, made three substitutions early in the second half. He eliminated one of the two holding midfielders (Pathe Ciss) and two of the creatives (Iliman Ndiaye and Krepin Diatta) who had little impact on the starting 45. It became clear that it wasn’t their fault.

First booked Kane with a shot from outside that puts Mendy in trouble. And, immediately, Foden took a ball that the English captain seemed to miss, sent a low cross so that Buyako Saka, hitherto fluctuating, chipped the ball to the Chelsea goalkeeper. Nice definition for 3-0. Third cry in as many games for the Arsenal boy, who reached Rashford as top scorer of the Three Lions team.

It was the last thing Foden and Saka did on the court. Because Southgate knocks good players off the substitutes bench. Rashford and Grealish enter to continue worrying the already resigned Senegalese.

Even England seemed to abandon a change. The difference was too big and Senegal always ran after the ball almost without bothering the British defense again. The Europeans had a couple of chances to step up. But they had already gone into energy saving mode. They know that next Saturday, still at Al Bayt, they will have to take an exam in front of a France that seems determined to repeat with Mbappé as the main argument. Will Sweet England times ring again at this World Cup?

Al Khor, Qatar. Special delivery.