Advertisement
trendingNowenglish1897863

Euro 2016, Group B: Russia vs Wales; Slovakia vs England – Players to watch out for

Here are the four men that could make all the difference tonight.

Euro 2016, Group B: Russia vs Wales; Slovakia vs England – Players to watch out for

New Delhi: After a dramatic night of football in Group A, action shifts to Group B with all four teams in with a chance to grab the two round of 16 spots.

England face Slovakia at Stade Geoffroy Guichard, while Wales are set to battle Russia at Stadium de Toulouse.

The Three Lions lead Group B with 4, while the Russians are at the bottom with 1. Wales and Slovakia have 3 points each.

While Wayne Rooney's men are favorites to beat Slovakia, Gareth Bale and his boys will have to shake off the disappointment from their last game to overcome the tricky Russian challenge.

As four nations prepare for their impending battles, we look at the men that could make all the difference tonight.

Marek Hamsik (Slovakia): The midfielder will be the biggest threat to England in this Group B clash. The Napoli man scored a wonder goal against Russia from a short corner. The 28-year-old is bound to be tightly monitored by Eric Dier. The winner of the battle between this duo is likely to have a big say in the final outcome of the match.

Jamie Vardy (England): The in-form Leicester City striker will pose plenty of problems for Martin Skrtel. The forward's pace might be too hot to handle for the ageing central defender. Vardy's ability to run in behind his marker and land up in unlikely positions inside the box will test the Slovakia defense. If Dier and Jack Wilshere link up well with Vardy, England will dominate.

Gareth Bale (Wales): The Real Madrid superstar is clearly the biggest weapon in possession of Chris Coleman's side. Bale has already scored two goals for his side and will create history if he nets a third with yet another free-kick. Apart from his blistering pace, the 26-year-old's killer left-foot will keep Russia goalkeeper Igor Afinkeev and defenders on their toes.

Artem Dzyuba (Russia): Welsh defenders will keep a close watch on the Zenit St Petersburg striker. Like most good players, Dzyuba can play as a target man or through the midfield where boss Leonid Slutsky is likely to employ him at against Wales. The 27-year-old compensates for his lack of pace with his imposing style of play. Dzyuba will be heavily relied upon in this key game.