How England can beat Mexico in World Cup clash with new defence, role change for Bellingham

FOOTBALL is coming home again – and this time, Thomas Tuchel is the man steering the ship.

England have marched into the last 16 of the World Cup and a blockbuster clash against hosts Mexico awaits.

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Set your alarms and stock the fridges.

Kick-off is at a brutal 1am on Monday morning UK time, but with pubs permitted to stay open until 5am, the entire nation is gearing up for a legendary night.

But let’s not get too carried away just yet.

The venue for this do-or-die clash is the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, a terrifying cauldron sitting at an altitude that will push our Three Lions to their absolute physical limits.

To get through this alive, Tuchel needs a flawless tactical blueprint.

We survived a sweaty afternoon against DR Congo, but knockout football leaves zero room for the defensive lapses we saw earlier this week.

El Tri will have a raucous home crowd acting as their extra man, playing at a chaotic intensity.

If England are to advance, we must play smart, keep the ball, and dictate the tempo from minute one.

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Here SunSport’s tactics guru Dean Scoggins breaks down exactly how England can conquer the Azteca.

Who should England play in defence?

Our defence is currently our biggest headache.

Against DR Congo, our backline looked completely disconnected and disorganised.

Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, and Djed Spence were all over the shop.

To fix this structural mess against Mexico, John Stones must return to the starting XI.

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If fit, Stones brings vital tournament experience and leadership.

His inclusion allows for a crucial tactical reshuffle including moving Konsa to right-back.

With Reece James a major fitness doubt for 90 minutes at altitude, Spence should drop out to preserve defensive solidity.

In possession, England can smoothly transition from a 4-3-3 into a fluid 3-2-5 shape.

As O’Reilly inverts into midfield alongside Declan Rice, England form a rock-solid, flat back three of Guehi, Stones and Konsa.

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The England and Arsenal midfielder was spotted with an ice pack on his hamstring after the game, adding to injury concerns further in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Konsa is rapid and can solve the threat one-on-one against Mexico’s impressive left-winger Julian Quinones, while Guehi can split left to back up O’Reilly.

Stones is our most composed ball player at the back and his inclusion against a high Mexican press means he can drop deep, invite pressure and dictate play to ensure England control the tempo.

How will England cope with the altitude?

The altitude numbers are genuinely mind-boggling.

The Azteca Stadium sits at a staggering 7,200 feet above sea level.

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To put that in perspective, The Hawthorns – the highest stadium in English football – is just 550 feet up.

We are talking about playing 14 times higher than anything these players are used to domestically.

The secret to surviving the thin air is simple – keep-ball and make sure that we play at our tempo.

We must drastically reduce our high-intensity running and force Mexico to do the chasing.

Rather than stretching the game with full-backs flying forward and wingers chasing back 60 yards, England may need more bodies tucked inside.

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That could mean a three-man defensive base with Rice and Elliot Anderson ahead of it.

Meanwhile, Nico O’Reilly can step into midfield from left-back.

In that shape, Jude Bellingham may also have to drop deeper instead of playing almost as a second striker alongside Harry Kane.

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The idea is to build a box in midfield, overload Mexico centrally and give England more passing options in tight areas.

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If England can get through the first 30 minutes without Mexico dominating the ball or whipping up the crowd, the game will start to feel far more manageable.

Alternatively, Tuchel can start Kobbie Mainoo alongside Anderson and Rice in a traditional 4-3-3.

Mainoo is a master at retaining possession in tight spaces.

With Bellingham shifting left to join Kane and Bukayo Saka holding the width on the right, England keep the pitch incredibly small.

And if Tuchel can keep England level or ahead by the hour mark, he can then unleash the runners such as Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford or Ollie Watkins against tired Mexican legs.

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By compressing the playing area on goal kicks, England can play at their own tempo and nullify the effects of the altitude.

What threats do Mexico pose?

England fans would be foolish to underestimate this side.

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Mexico are a hyper-aggressive attacking outfit that will use their acclimatisation to play at a much higher intensity than us.

They operate in a flexible 4-3-3 that seamlessly transforms into a 3-4-3.

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Their main threat comes down the right flank, where Jorge Sanchez, Gilberto Mora and Roberto Alvarado form dangerous passing triangles.

They will try to overload the right to draw England’s block across, before rapidly switching the ball to the left to unleash Quinones one-on-one.

And that threat is one reason why England may need real speed at right-back.

Konsa, James or Spence may be better suited than Stones if Mexico look to isolate that side.

Up front, a familiar face in Raul Jimenez will lead the line.

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Jimenez is built different and he will look to physically occupy both centre-backs to drag them out of position.

To counter this, England must completely abandon the high press.

Instead, we should drop into a compact 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 defensive block, just like Man City did against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final.

By refusing to commit bodies past the ball, we block the central passing lanes, choke the space, and force Mexico into hitting hopeful, direct long balls that our center-backs can easily gobble up.

Dominate the middle, keep the ball, and the quarter-finals are ours.

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