World Cup: England set up ‘blockbuster’ quarter-final against holders France 

Goals from Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka saw England comfortably beat Senegal 3-0 in the Fifa World Cup round of 16 – and the Three Lions will now take on world champions France.

At the Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday night, Gareth Southgate’s side had a bit of a “dodgy opening” against the African champions, said Andy Cryer on BBC Sport. But once Henderson opened the scoring on 38 minutes from Jude Bellingham’s cut-back there was “only ever going to be one winner”.

Captain Kane drove in England’s second goal, and his first of the 2022 World Cup, in first-half stoppage time. Then on 57 minutes Saka flicked home Phil Foden’s cross to seal the victory.

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With France up next, England forward Foden acknowledged that the holders look like the “strongest” team in the competition “up to now”, but the England squad “back ourselves every day and we are confident”.

France sealed their place in the last eight with a 3-1 victory over Poland. Olivier Giroud opened the scoring and Kylian Mbappé scored twice for Didier Deschamps’s side. Giroud’s goal, his 52nd for France, eclipsed the national team record previously held by Thierry Henry.

The quarter-final clash between England and France will be a “blockbuster”, said James Olley on ESPN. Taking place at the Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday 10 December, kick-off is at 7pm and the match is live on ITV.

Bellingham was a ‘revelation’

Now for a third successive tournament under Southgate, England “look again like they are contenders at the business end of it all”, said The Telegraph. The defending champions may be “armed with the tournament’s most potent player”, Mbappé, but in the England ranks there’s a teenager from Birmingham with “some skin in that game”. Midfielder Bellingham was “a revelation” against Senegal. He “ran the game”, the first half in particular, “as well as any of the greats of England midfield past have done”.

Once Bellingham “exerted his authority over the midfield”, England were able to take control and “cruise to victory”, said Phil McNulty on BBC Sport. Borussia Dortmund’s 19-year-old has “already had an outstanding World Cup”, but he now has “power and production on the biggest stage to add to his reputation”.

Speaking after the match, England skipper Kane hailed the youngster for being a “fantastic player” who does everything well. “I like Jude a lot, a good person, mature for his age and great leadership skills,” Kane added. “All I would say is keep working and keep learning.”

England have ‘nothing to fear’

With Southgate’s sixth knockout win at major tournaments, and the “bonus” of a third consecutive clean sheet, England can “hear the knock of opportunity”, said David Hytner in The Guardian. “Make no mistake” though, Saturday’s quarter-final will be a “gargantuan test”, said Martin Samuel in the Daily Mail. France “could well be the best team here”, certainly the “best of the European contingent”. Yet this 3-0 win was “a statement result” by England against the champions of Africa.

Southgate has “often been accused” of being a “lucky general”, said Ewan Roberts in Metro. Previous tournament runs – to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and to the final of the Euros last year – have been “caveated by the rather modest calibre” of opponents faced. “Not this time”, not against France and Mbappé, the World Cup’s top scorer with five goals.

However, England are the tournament’s top scorers themselves and in defender Kyle Walker they have someone who is perhaps the “only player in world football who can match the Frenchman’s pace”, Roberts added. If Southgate has not “already wrapped his right-back in cotton wool, he would be wise to”. Despite Mbappé’s masterclass against Poland, a “rampant” England have “nothing to fear” against France and should feel “fully capable of knocking out the holders and delivering a statement win”.