Hello and welcome to the first of three Euro 2016 liveblogs today as England and Wales go head-to-head in Lens.
It’s one of the stand-out ties from the group stages and it has all the ingredients to be a classic. There is so much riding on it for both sides and it’s sure to be an electric atmosphere inside the ground.
What a treat this is on a Thursday afternoon, and we’ll guide you through all the action. Kick-off is at the top of the hour.
The team news is in…
Roy Hodsgon has made no changes to the starting XI which faced Russia. Wales, meanwhile, have made three changes to the side which beat Slovakia in their first game of the tournament.
Joe Ledley and Wayne Hennessey take up their place in the first team, alongside Hal Robson-Kanu, who scored the winning goal against Slovakia.
England: Hart, Walker, Rose, Cahill, Smalling, Sterling, Lallana, Kane, Rooney, Dier, Alli.
Wales: Hennessey, Gunter, Chester, Williams, Taylor, Davies, Ledley, Ramsey, Allen, Robson-Kanu, Bale.
The Welsh boys are in the house, as they look to make it two wins from two in Group B.
This is the current state of play ahead of this one. Slovakia’s win over Russia yesterday has left the latter’s hopes hanging by a thread. Victory for Wales this afternoon would book their place in the knock-out phase.
Speaking ahead of kick-off, England boss Roy Hodgson admits the sense of occasion surrounding this one is far greater to any other game.
“The derby atmosphere is great. Many people in England and Great Britain – perhaps even around the world – are looking forward to this game; the fact it is a game against brothers, if you like, adds spice, it adds interest and that is something I can only welcome. If anything it heightens the occasion rather than lessens it.”
History suggests there is only one outcome this afternoon but Wales have the momentum, fresh from their victory over Slovakia and the return of key players.
Here are some match facts, courtesy of Uefa.
- England and Wales have met on 101 occasions, England winning 66 matches and Wales 14.
- Annual opponents in the British Home Championship, which ran for a century until 1984, England and Wales have met just four times in the three decades since.
- Wales have not beaten England since a 1-0 victory in Wrexham on 2 May 1984, debutant Mark Hughes settling the match. England have won the last four games between the countries without conceding a goal.
- England triumphed 2-0 at home and 1-0 away en route to qualifying for the 2006 Fifa World Cup, then 2-0 away and 1-0 at home to assist their qualifying bid for Euro 2012. Ashley Young was the last player to score in the fixture.
Kick-off is fast approaching at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Which way do you see this one going? As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail ryan@the42.ie, tweet @the42_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.
All the build-up, all the talking is over. Of all the meetings between these two neighbours, this is by far the biggest with the onus on England to go out and stamp their authority on this group and reassert their dominance.
Wales will be no pushovers and in Gareth Bale they have a player capable of winning a game of this magnitude single-handedly. We’re all set in Lens, and this has all the ingredients to be a classic.
All eyes on this man this afternoon. Gareth Bale has had a lot to say in the build-up to this one but now it’s time the football did the talking. Formalities complete, we’re all set.
Kick-off! Wales get us underway and already pressure on Ashley Williams from Harry Kane. Deafening noise inside the ground.
England enjoying the early possession but Smalling loses patience and looks for the killer ball. His pass is aimless, however, and it trickles through to the returning Wayne Hennessey.
First flash point as Alli collides with Ramsey on the far side. Wales win the free-kick but Ramsey didn’t take kindly to the push and the referee is forced to intervene. This could be spicy.
Wales win a free in a dangerous position. A needless foul given away by England but Ramsey’s delivery is poor and it doesn’t beat the first man.
Still early days but Wayne Rooney is occupying that deeper role again, playing behind Harry Kane. So many fascinating battles out there today.
Chance! Brilliant break from England as Lallana gets in behind. He has Sterling in the middle and he finds him with a perfect cross but the Man City winger skews it horribly wide with the goal at his mercy.
Wales were cut apart there as Kane won the bouncing ball in midfield and Sterling should really have scored. Just about sums up his season.
Bale comes to life all of a sudden. He collects the ball on the edge of the area and drives towards goal, with Stones forced to make a last-ditch block.
From the corner, Hart comes off his line but loses the ball under pressure but Kane is there to clear the danger. It has been a tense start to proceedings from both sides.
It’s a big afternoon for Roy.
The less said about this the better. Wales drop off and allow Rooney time and space on the edge of the box. The England captain is invited to shoot and he duly obliges but his effort is high and wide.
Game just settling down now after a disjointed start. England seeing the majority of the ball but not really going anywhere. You get the feeling it’s going to be a tight affair.
England applying some pressure now with consecutive corners but Wales deal with it on both occasions.
Chris Coleman has been on his feet since kick-off and looks concerned on the touchline. He’s urging his players to get on the ball and get on the front foot because so far they’ve squandered possession far too easily.
Williams has just looked a little uneasy on the ball and once again he gives it away, this time to Alli. A one-two with Rooney creates the space and the Tottenham forward is eventually felled by Ledley with England winning a free in a dangerous position.
But Kane blasts it into the stand, much to the amusement of the Welsh fans behind that goal. That was a really poor effort.
It’s all England at the minute. Rose links up with Kane nicely and draws the foul from Ledley. Replays show the full-back bought that free and if this results in anything, Wales will not be happy.
Close! Rooney chips in the free and Cahill gets away from Williams, who actually lost his footing, but his glancing header is straight at the goalkeeper.
Wales being forced to dig deep here. They find themselves penned inside their own half with little respite as Rooney swings in another corner. The referee’s whistle goes this time for shirt pulling in the box.
Already half an hour gone and not a whole lot to report. Sterling should have scored with that chance a little earlier and England have certainly had the better of it so far. We’re still scoreless though.
Handball? England pressing down the left again. The ball eventually comes across and as Kane, Hennessey and Davies challenge for it in the air, it comes down and brushes the hand of the latter. There’s definitely contact although Davies didn’t know much about it.
For all the build-up and anticipation of this game, it has been a really poor encounter so far. Wales have hardly had a kick and while England have had the better chances, there’s not a lot happening.
The Welsh fans are trying to rally their side but they’re being forced to defend again.
GOAL! England 0-1 Wales (Bale)
Out of nothing, Wales lead! Rooney gives away the free-kick 30 yards out. Bale stands over it and hits a dipping drive, which Hart is unable to keep out.
The goalkeeper really should have done better there but could only parry into the corner.
Incredible. Wales have done nothing all half
Incredible. Wales have done nothing all half and now England are in serious trouble. ‘You’re going home, you’re going home,’ the Welsh fans sing.
A huge team talk coming up from Roy Hodgson.
Half-time! England 0-1 Wales
Well, well, well. Having dominated the half, England find themselves trailing at the break with Gareth Bale’s free-kick separating the sides. We’ll have half-time analysis coming up.
There’s no doubt Bale’s free dipped and swerved but Hart had a good sight of it and really should have done better. Dunphy scathing in his criticism of the England goalkeeper on RTÉ.
Now England need to find a response. They dominated proceedings although didn’t do much with the ball. They lacked any real purpose and Sterling’s miss just about summed his and his side’s fortunes at the moment.
Smalling had a header from one of Rooney’s many corners but apart from that Hennessey hasn’t really had much to do.
Looking at his bench, who can Hodgson look to? He needs to change things up with Vardy, Henderson, Sturridge and Rashford the obvious candidates.
Double change! Hodgson acknowledging that things weren’t working as he takes drastic action. Sterling and Kane replaced by Kane and Sturridge. England need to find something from somewhere.
We’re back underway!
England fans trying their best to lift the side. Bale embarks on a powerful run down the left and he goes to ground under the challenge of Walker but the referee isn’t interested.
Walker’s time to bomb forward and he wins the corner. Wales have dealt with what has been thrown at them pretty well so far with Ashley Williams immense again.
Already Sturridge has had a couple of nice touches.
England looking a lot sharper already with Vardy leading the line and Sturridge, Lallana and Rooney playing in behind.
Wales need to try and get on the ball or else it’s going to be a long half. Ramsey picks it up 30 yards from goal and lets fly, but Hart is behind it.
Save! Rooney forces Hennessey into action with a smart save. The England captain came onto the loose ball and tried to use a Welsh defender to curl it into the far corner.
GOAL! England 1-1 Wales (Vardy)
What an impact! Vardy pops up in the box to stab home from close range and England are level! Sturridge stands up a delicious ball into the danger area only for Williams to get his defensive header horribly wrong and divert it straight into Vardy’s path.
Vardy was standing yards offside but William’s intervention meant the linesman’s flag correctly didn’t go up – and now the impetus is with England as Hennessey is forced to punch clear under pressure.
England piling on the pressure now. Lallana lets fly from range and it strikes Davies, on what looks like his arm, and deflects out for a corner. The set-piece is cleared and Wales try and push out.
Wales are a little rattled. Davies is recklessly late on Lallana and he goes into the book for a nasty challenge. All the noise is coming from the England end now.
Wales are really struggling to get out and a game of pingball ensues in their box, with Dier eventually skewing wide.
After a brief interruption to allow Ledley to receive attention, we’re back underway as Sturridge drives forward. Wales back off and the Liverpool forward hits it from 30 yards but it was never going to trouble Hennessey.
Ledley now has to go off with Dave Edwards coming on in his place.
Vardy stabs home to level proceedings.
Patient build-up play from England but Wales are standing firm. Sturridge’s shot is blocked, Walker’s cross is half-cleared and then Dier’s ball back in is too long for everyone.
Just 20 minutes remaining in Lens and we’re still level at 1-1.
Both sides making a change. Hal Robson-Kanu is making way for Jonathan Williams while Marcus Rashford is preparing to come on for England.
Prolific.
Hodgson is really going for it. Rashford is on for Lallana and England now have four recognised strikers on the pitch.
It’s hard to make out what formation England are actually playing at the moment. It appears to have been a straight swap between Rashford and Lallana with Rooney dropping deeper and deeper.
Thumbs up from Coleman on the touchline and things have just settled down. Those substitutions appear to have helped Wales regain some footing in this game. Still, it’s England doing all the pressing with 13 mins to go.
Lovely piece of skill from Rooney to manufacture a yard of space for himself but Chester is out so quickly to block to shot. Incredible desire from the Welsh defence, putting their body on the line for the cause.
Just 10 minutes remaining, which way is this one going?
Not a lot to shout about at the minute. England looking more likely at this stage but this game is petering towards a draw.
Wales dropping deeper and deeper but England aren’t up to a whole lot. Side to side and back again.
Rashford injects a bit of pace into the attack but he just overruns it and Williams is across to slide in. From the next passage of play, Walker’s cross is headed behind by Davies.
Cahill rises highest from the corner but can’t get over it and his header floats well over the bar. Into the final minutes now.
Three minutes of injury time, and we’re already half a minute into that.
GOAL! England 2-1 Wales (Sturridge)
And they force the breakthrough! Sturridge weaves his way through and somehow pokes it in at the front post past Hennessey.
Heartbreak for Wales as the substitutes come up trumps for England. It was such a scrappy goal but credit to Sturridge and England look like they’ve come from behind to beat Wales.
Full-time! England 2-1 Wales
Smash and grab from England but you’ve got to hand it to Roy Hodgson for the changes he made and it turned the game on its head.
So England get out of jail and earn their first win of the tournament. It was far from pretty but they eventually got the job done and Group B is really set-up for a tight finish.
Russia face Wales and England play Slovakia in the final games on Monday.
Thanks for joining us this afternoon, and don’t forget we have live coverage of Northern Ireland’s clash with Poland over here.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
