Gary Neville has backed England to overcome Norway in the World Cup quarter-final, describing the clash as a 'really tough' test for Thomas Tuchel's side. The former England defender made the prediction after the Three Lions edged out co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in a dramatic last-16 match at the Azteca, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice and Harry Kane converting a penalty.
England's Altitude Challenge and Red Card
Heading into the Mexico tie, much of the focus was on England's ability to cope with the effects of altitude. The challenge intensified when Jarell Quansah received a red card, leaving England a man down. Despite Mexico's numerical advantage, Kane and his teammates withstood a barrage of attacks in the closing stages to secure their place in the last eight. Neville praised the team's resilience, calling their performance 'absolutely magnificent' and 'an amazing achievement'.
Neville on Haaland Threat
Norway's talisman Erling Haaland has scored seven goals at the tournament, including a brace against Brazil. Neville acknowledged the difficulty of stopping the Manchester City striker, saying, 'It's tough to stop Haaland. He can be anonymous in matches, he doesn't touch it a lot, but you know that he's explosive. He was devastating against Brazil, those two goals were absolutely brilliant, classic Haaland.' Neville added, 'It's difficult to stop him for 90 minutes or if it's extra-time happens as well then it's 120 minutes, but we should be favourites and I don't think that's us getting carried away.'
England's Favourite Status
Despite the threat posed by Haaland and Martin Odegaard, Neville believes England should embrace their status as favourites. 'I think we should be favourites to beat Norway but it's going to be really tough,' he said. The quarter-final is set to take place at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday at 10pm BST.
Praise for Bellingham and Kane
Neville singled out Jude Bellingham for special praise after the Real Madrid midfielder earned his third man-of-the-match award in five World Cup appearances. 'Above and beyond that sits Jude Bellingham. I think in this tournament, if I didn't think he was world-class before, I think he's absolutely smashed through that ceiling,' Neville said. 'What we saw last night was a complete performance, it was absolutely incredible. He has carried England, I have to say, in these last five matches. He's been unbelievable along with Harry Kane, but Bellingham is another level.'
Defensive Improvements
Neville also highlighted improvements in England's defensive shape, which had been a concern earlier in the tournament. 'I thought our shape was fantastic in the first half last night, I thought the wide players connected a lot more with the rest of their defensive unit and I thought we were really compact,' he said. 'I thought Kane and Bellingham were a little bit tighter as well to Declan Rice and Anderson, I thought the back four looked more solid and I felt really comfortable in the first half.'
Looking Ahead
England's squad will now focus on recuperating both mentally and physically ahead of the quarter-final. Neville expressed confidence in the team's ability to progress, despite the tough challenge posed by Norway. The match promises to be an intriguing showdown as England aim to reach the semi-finals for the second consecutive World Cup.
