World Cup Qualifier: Latvia vs England – Copybet
England are on the brink of sealing their place at next summer’s World Cup and a positive result in Latvia will get them over the line.
Thomas Tuchel’s men currently top Group K with a 100% record and look to complete a double over their opponents, after a 3-0 success in the reverse fixture at Wembley.
The Three Lions could also be boosted by the return of their captain, with Harry Kane expected to play a part in Riga.
Latvia vs England
The visitors head to Riga having looked more solid defensively under Tuchel, keeping clean sheets in their last three matches.
A lacklustre 2-0 win over group minnows Andorra was followed by an impressive 5-0 away win over Serbia.
England warmed up for the Latvia clash with a friendly with Wales at Wembley on Thursday, which turned out to be a comfortable success over Craig Bellamy’s men.
Three goals in the first 20 minutes pretty much sealed the latest victory and they now face a Latvia side that have scored just four goals in their six group matches - two of which came in a draw with Andorra last time out.
The only previous meeting between the two nations came back in March this year, when England ran out 3-0 victors.
Latvia vs England
One of the players to shine in recent matches for the Three Lions is Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who started both wins over Serbia and Wales.
With Noni Madueke’s injury seeing the Arsenal forward stuck on the sidelines, Rogers has been given a chance to impress in a number 10 role.
The Villa ace has certainly taken it with both hands, grabbing an assist in the 5-0 victory in Belgrade before getting himself on the scoresheet against Wales.
The recent turnaround in fortunes for his club side, with Villa winning their last four in all competitions, looks to have further bolstered his confidence.
Latvia vs England
There has been a noticeable run of fast starts from England in recent matches, since the disappointing 1-0 win in Andorra back in early June.
The Three Lions scored within seven minutes of their friendly defeat to Senegal and early goals have also been a feature of their three straight wins since then.
England have scored 10 goals in their last three matches, with six of those strikes coming before the half-time break.
A good start on Tuesday will also take a lot of the pressure off the players’ shoulders, as they look to seal their place in next summer’s World Cup finals.