World Cup 2018: 4 reasons why England must take Colombia seriously

#3 The last time England underestimated their opponents

Iceland celebrating their second goal against England

Just over two years ago came one of the darkest days in English football, as England lost 2-1 to Iceland at Euro 2016. Before the match, many pundits and analysts predicted a comfortable win for the three lions, despite Iceland’s first placed finish in a group containing Portugal, Hungary and Austria. The group stages also had a similar feeling, as England put lacklustre displays against Russia and Slovakia and ended up finishing second in the group behind Wales.

There were signs of overconfidence against Belgium, as Gareth Southgate made nine changes for the final group game. Although the Belgians made eight changes themselves, England might have been better off fielding a stronger team in search of a victory; a result which would have seen the Three Lions play Japan rather than Colombia.

After going a goal down, there was a distinct lack of urgency and hunger from everyone in white and they did not make enough of an attempt to get back into the game. For Adnan Januzaj’s goal, the lack of intensity was apparent, as the former Manchester United man bided his time until he could cut inside and curl the ball into the top corner. Yuri Tielemans was also allowed to have a shot without pressure, which resulted in a nervy save from Jordan Pickford and an England clearance.

The England team will surely recognise the dangers of Colombia, given the talent they have in attacking areas. However, heading into any game on the back of a defeat is always risky and it is imperative England play with the same intensity and creativity as they did in the first two matches.