England vs. Wales: Live Stream, Odds and Form Guide for Euro 2016
England will look to bounce back from Saturday's disappointing 1-1 draw with Russia when they take on Wales in UEFA Euro 2016 on Thursday at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, France.
The Welsh, meanwhile, will head into the game on the back of a 2-1 win over Slovakia, knowing a further victory will virtually guarantee a place in the knockout phase.
With UK bragging rights also at stake, the game takes on added significance for both sides and should be a thrilling contest.
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Read on for a preview of the Group B match, but first here are the viewing details you need to catch the game, the latest odds and a form guide for both teams.
Date: Thursday, June 16
Time: 2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET
TV: BBC One (UK), ESPN3 (U.S.)
Live Stream: BBC iPlayer (UK), Watch ESPN (U.S.)
| England win | 3-5 |
| Draw | 31-10 |
| Wales win | 6-1 |
| D vs. Russia (1-1) | W vs. Slovakia (2-1) |
| W vs. Portugal (1-0) | L vs. Sweden (3-0) |
| W vs. Australia (2-1) | L vs. Ukraine (1-0) |
| W vs. Turkey (2-1) | D vs. N. Ireland (1-1) |
Odds courtesy of Oddschecker.
Preview
Both England and Wales put in largely excellent performances in their opening group matches, which bodes well for an exciting fixture here.
The Three Lions provided arguably their best showing at an international tournament in recent memory, creating numerous chances and looking solid at the back until Vasili Berezutski's last-minute equaliser brought them back to reality.
One notable exception was Harry Kane, who struggled to replicate the form he's shown for England in the past or in the domestic season with Tottenham Hotspur.
England manager Roy Hodgson is likely to give the striker another chance to shine on Thursday, but with Jamie Vardy, Daniel Sturridge and Marcus Rashford waiting in the wings, it's a chance Kane needs to capitalise on if he's to justify his place in the team.
Inexplicably, the 22-year-old took England's corners against Russia—a tactic that was as puzzling as it was ineffective, per football writer Iain Macintosh and former Three Lions captain Alan Shearer:
Indeed, not only was Kane's delivery not good enough, the team was deprived one of its most potent threats in the box—if England hope to cause Wales problems from set pieces, they need a new taker.
The Dragons have fewer attacking threats to call upon than England, but in Gareth Bale, they have the most dangerous player on the pitch.
Like the Three Lions, Wales look to get width from their attacking full-backs—Chris Gunter in particular, per Bleacher Report UK's Sam Tighe:
That should afford Danny Rose and Kyle Walker plenty of space at the back, but equally, Wales will look to exploit the space they leave on their forays upfield.
Former Wales striker Craig Bellamy believes the fact England need the result more than the Dragons will play into his country's hands, via ITV Football:
Indeed, manager Chris Coleman's side are set up well to hit teams on the break with pace, and they're likely to have several opportunities to do so as England push for a goal.
Holding midfielder Eric Dier will need to work hard to help protect the defence from counter-attacks while the full-backs make their way back into position.
The Spurs man netted a sublime free-kick to open the scoring for the Three Lions at the tournament as part of an all-round outstanding game against Russia, per Squawka Football:
Per BBC Sport, Bale stoked the fires ahead of the clash, saying his side would display more "passion and pride" than their English counterparts.
However, Roy Hodgson does not believe that will be the case, per BBC Sport:
"I've been in the game sufficiently long to know every opponent has got an opinion.
They can have those opinions, but I don't have any doubts personally about our patriotism or desire and that's the important thing.
[...]
We know who we are, we know what we are. We don't have any doubts about ourselves in that respect.
"
Thursday's match will test Bale's and Hodgson's claims, with national pride at stake as well as three vital points. More importantly, it will be a clash of two good teams and should be an excellent spectacle.
