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World Cup 2018: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Online Coverage Guide for Monday
June 18, 2018
England's 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign starts on Monday when the Three Lions meet Tunisia at the Volgograd Arena in Russia.
Elsewhere in Group G, Belgium take on Panama at Sochi's Fisht Stadium. The day begins with Sweden facing South Korea in their Group F opener in Nizhny Novgorod.
- Sweden vs. South Korea, 3 p.m. Local Time (1 p.m. BST, 8 a.m. ET), ITV 1/Fox Sports 1.
- Belgium vs. Panama, 6 p.m. Local Time (4 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. ET), BBC One/Fox Sports 1.
- Tunisia vs. England, 9 p.m. Local Time (7 p.m. BST, 2 p.m. ET), BBC One/Fox Sports 1.
Live-streaming links: BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Fox Soccer MatchPass.
England Set for Winning Start
England have the firepower to make a fast start against Tunisia. Specifically, Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane and Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling combine power with pace and keen scoring instincts.
Keeping them supplied with chances will be the challenge for a squad potentially light in midfield. Manager Gareth Southgate has picked five natural midfielders, including three central players, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Ahead of them, versatile and attack-minded duo Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard will be tasked with creating chances. Southgate needs to pick three from this group and hope his players avoid injuries.
If England's five-man defence can control Rennes forward Wahbi Khazri and OGC Nice winger Bassem Srarfi, Kane and Co. will fire England to an emphatic opening win.
Belgium Primed for Comfortable Victory
It will be a similar story for Belgium, with the Red Devils having too much talent in attacking areas for Panama to cope with. Among them, Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, Chelsea winger Eden Hazard and Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku could all run riot.
This dynamic trio should enjoy greater freedom in the more progressive tactics of coach Roberto Martinez. While predecessor Marc Wilmots was pragmatic, the former Everton manager is expansive and will expect his players to boss the ball.
The shift in style is good news for De Bruyne, who is coming off a season in which he acted as the creative hub for pass-happy Premier League champions City.
De Bruyne and Hazard's combinations should mean plenty of chances for Lukaku.
Panama will struggle to keep pace, even though Seattle Sounders star Roman Torres underpins a steady defence. The bigger issue is a lack of goals among a forward line featuring Deportivo La Coruna's Ismael Diaz.
Belgium should win with two goals' worth of room to spare.
Sweden and South Korea Likely to Draw
Like Panama, Sweden lack a potent-enough forward line. John Guidetti and Ola Toivonen don't have enough goals in them to make the most of a capable midfield led by the vision and flair of Emil Forsberg.
South Korea may also struggle for goals against an experienced and organised Swedish defence. Andreas Granqvist is 33, while fellow centre-back Mikael Lustig is 31, yet both are aggressive in the air and savvy on the deck.
Their main task will be subduing Heung-Min Son. Keeping the intelligent attacker under wraps won't be easy, though, as the Tottenham Hotspur man's pace, technique and skill are a nightmare combination for most defences.
Son will need assistance from midfield, so former Swansea City schemer Ki Sung-Yueng needs to find his passing range early.
Two solid defences and light forward lines make a draw, likely a goalless one, inevitable between these two sides.