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Vinicius Jr is another superstar who has already lit up the World Cup with four goals across his four starts and it looks like he really enjoys playing under Carlo Ancelotti.

Vinicius Jr didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet against Japan last time out but looked lively throughout the encounter. 

He managed three shots in that game, seeing two of them find the target and almost scored a wonderful individual goal which highlights the confidence he’s playing with at the moment. 

Vinicius Jr has taken 15 shots overall (3.85 per 90) which is a really promising shot volume when looking to back him for a shot on target. He’s seen 10 of these efforts find the target (2.56 per 90), which shows that he’s pretty accurate with these efforts too.

Vinicius Jr didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet against Japan last time out but looked lively throughout the encounter. 

He managed three shots in that game, seeing two of them find the target and almost scored a wonderful individual goal which highlights the confidence he’s playing with at the moment. 

Vinicius Jr has taken 15 shots overall (3.85 per 90) which is a really promising shot volume when looking to back him for a shot on target. He’s seen 10 of these efforts find the target (2.56 per 90), which shows that he’s pretty accurate with these efforts too. 

Haaland has taken 14 shots across his three starts at the World Cup (4.67 per 90), seeing nine of these attempts find the target (3.00 per 90) and should be encouraged by the fact that Brazil haven’t looked completely secure at the back with Japan and Morocco scoring against them. 

Haaland also scored more goals than any other player during qualifying (16) from 28 shots on target (3.57 per 90). He’s clearly adapted well to the stage of a World Cup and I think he will continue to be a real threat in this encounter. 

Kane is clearly the star of this England side, he’s scored five goals already from 18 shots (4.58 per 90), including a brace against DR Congo last time out to spare England the embarrassment of an early exit.

He’s seen nine of his efforts find the target (2.29 per 90) and will be an obvious threat to this Mexico backline.

Kane scored eight goals across eight starts during qualifying and has really never looked sharper in the final third as he does at the moment, benefitting from Tuchel building the team around his strengths. He also averaged 2.11 shots on target per 90 during qualifying.

Julian Quinones has emerged as a really exciting player for Mexico at this World Cup and isn’t afraid to take aim at goal having taken 11 shots across his four starts so far (2.97 per 90), scoring three goals in the process.

He’ll line up on the left wing for Mexico which also gives him an advantage as England have a real issue at right back having lost both Reece James and Tino Livramento to injury. England conceded against DR Congo down that side of the pitch and could be vulnerable again as Quinones is playing with plenty of confidence. 

Quinones scored 33 goals in the Saudi Pro League during the most recent campaign, averaging 1.95 shots on target per 90. 

Only Michael Olise (5) has registered more assists at the World Cup than Bruno Guimaraes (4) who has been a real creative asset for this Brazil side in a midfield set up which otherwise hasn’t been too impressive.

Casemiro and Paqueta are obviously decent players, but they lack the urgency and creativity of Guimaraes who has stepped up as Brazil’s best midfielder at the tournament.

Guimaraes set up two goals across his 16 starts for Brazil during qualifying, averaging 1.43 chances created per 90. That figure has jumped to 2.38 chances created per 90 at the World Cup with an assist landing in three of his four matches.

His role on set pieces could be crucial for Brazil given that Norway have conceded 4+ corners in all four of their matches and Brazil have real aerial threats in the box for Guimaraes to try and pick out such as Gabriel and Casemiro.

Antonio Nusa is such a talented player and needs to show the quality he displayed for Norway’s opener against Ivory Coast last time out more often. That goal was really impressive, but he needs to be more involved in the game outside of that moment. 

He’s got a real advantage here as he’ll be lining up against Danilo at right back for Brazil, a position that’s been a problem area for Ancelotti as Brazil don’t really have a quality player to play in that role - which is the most obvious weakness in the Brazil backline and overall setup. 

Nusa posted a promising shot volume during qualifying with 21 shots across his six starts (3.96 per 90), resulting in two goals. He does need to refine his accuracy to get the shot on target we require here, but I expect him to beat his man on a few occasions to give himself that opportunity.

Kristoffer Ajer hasn’t picked up a card at the World Cup yet but is going to find this assignment tough with the Brentford defender having to deal with Matheus Cunha and Lucas Paqueta in central areas.

Ajer can play all across the backline, regularly lining up as a fullback for Brentford during the most recent campaign, but plays as a centre back for his national side which gives them an appealing 1v1 duel when looking to back him for a caution.

Cunha is very good at moving around a backline with his clever movement, often dropping deep and taking one of the opposition centre backs with him to open up space for Rayan and Vinicius Jr on either side. 

Cunha hasn’t quite shown his foul winning ability at the World Cup so far but this tends to be one of the stronger parts of his game. 

He averaged 1.94 fouls won per 90 during the most recent Premier League campaign and faces up against Ajer, who isn’t as mobile and picked up four cards across 20 starts in the Premier League last season.

Brazil conceded first against Japan last time out and I think they could have been punished more by the Asian side if Japan had been a bit more bold in their attacking approach.

Norway will be able to offer that additional attacking threat having scored in all four of their matches, scoring 2+ goals in three of these games. 

The other aspect for Norway to worry about is the fact that all four of their games have seen BTTS, their own backline isn’t that strong and is likely to concede against Brazil’s talented frontline.

Brazil have shipped goals against both Japan and Morocco in their more challenging matches so far but also have scored in all four of their games, netting 2+ goals in three of these fixtures.

Brazil covered this line against Japan last time out with six corners and leveraged their advantage in aerial duels well to come away 2-1 winners with Casemiro heading home the equaliser.

Norway conceded 14 corners against Ivory Coast last time out. That high corner tally was a result of the African side recognising that Norway’s main weakness is in the fullback areas and they got the ball to their wingers to go 1v1 as often as possible.

Brazil are averaging 5.75 corners per game at the World Cup, winning 4+ corners in all four of their matches. Norway have conceded 4+ corners in all four of their matches as well and I think we’ll see Brazil try to get at them by exposing their fullbacks.

I’ve come back to this selection regularly throughout the World Cup as I don’t really trust Brazil’s backline. 

Carlo Ancelotti has never been a coach that obsesses over tactical details and I think that shows a little bit in the structure of Brazil’s defence, Norway should have chances and I expect Alisson to be called into action at least twice.

Alisson has had to make 11 saves across his four starts at the World Cup (2.75 per 90) with a save percentage of 84.6%, a metric that was closer to 90% before Brazil took on Japan in the Round of 32.

Alisson was just as busy during qualifying for Brazil, making 26 saves across nine starts (2.93 per 99) with a similar save percentage (81.2%).

Haaland has been incredible at the World Cup so far, netting five goals across his three starts in the competition.

He’s benefited from being in a side that is clearly suited to his strengths with Norway well aware of the fact that they’ve got one of the best goalscorers in world football at the moment leading the line.

Haaland has taken 14 shots across his three starts at the World Cup (4.67 per 90), seeing nine of these attempts find the target (3.00 per 90) and should be encouraged by the fact that Brazil haven’t looked completely secure at the back with Japan and Morocco scoring against them. 

Haaland also scored more goals than any other player during qualifying (16) from 28 shots on target (3.57 per 90). He’s clearly adapted well to the stage of a World Cup and I think he will continue to be a real threat in this encounter.

Vinicius Jr is another superstar who has already lit up the World Cup with four goals across his four starts and it looks like he really enjoys playing under Carlo Ancelotti.

Vinicius Jr didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet against Japan last time out but looked lively throughout the encounter. 

He managed three shots in that game, seeing two of them find the target and almost scored a wonderful individual goal which highlights the confidence he’s playing with at the moment. 

Vinicius Jr has taken 15 shots overall (3.85 per 90) which is a really promising shot volume when looking to back him for a shot on target. He’s seen 10 of these efforts find the target (2.56 per 90), which shows that he’s pretty accurate with these efforts too.

Harry Kane has been a lot shorter for a shot on target during this World Cup so this is a decent price for him to find the target at least once in what looks to be a challenging assignment for England on paper.

Kane is clearly the star of this England side, he’s scored five goals already from 18 shots (4.58 per 90), including a brace against DR Congo last time out to spare England the embarrassment of an early exit. He’s seen nine of his efforts find the target (2.29 per 90) and will be an obvious threat to this Mexico backline.

Kane scored eight goals across eight starts during qualifying and has really never looked sharper in the final third as he does at the moment, benefitting from Tuchel building the team around his strengths. He averaged 2.11 shots on target per 90 during qualifying, 2+ shots on target is also worth looking at (2.6).

• Bellingham has been absolutely crucial for England in this World Cup, with his box crashing being utilised by Tuchel.

• He's averaging 1.72 shots on target per 90, from 2.58 efforts per 90.

• Of his six shots on target so far, all of them have been inside the box, which shows he's frequently getting in goalscoring positions.

• He also managed three Shots on Target in the last game against DR Congo.

Harry Kane has been a lot shorter for a shot on target during this World Cup so this is a decent price for him to find the target at least once in what looks to be a challenging assignment for England on paper.

Kane is clearly the star of this England side, he’s scored five goals already from 18 shots (4.58 per 90), including a brace against DR Congo last time out to spare England the embarrassment of an early exit. He’s seen nine of his efforts find the target (2.29 per 90) and will be an obvious threat to this Mexico backline.

Kane scored eight goals across eight starts during qualifying and has really never looked sharper in the final third as he does at the moment, benefitting from Tuchel building the team around his strengths. He averaged 2.11 shots on target per 90 during qualifying, 2+ shots on target is also worth looking at (2.6).

Raul Jimenez scored a wonderful goal in Mexico’s Round of 32 clash with Ecuador to guarantee their spot in this stage of the tournament. He’s been effective when leading the line for his country, scoring two goals across his three starts from 10 shots (3.91 per 90).

He’s seen four of his efforts find the target (1.57 per 90) and has been using his head often with half of his total efforts so far being headed shots. This is not that surprising when looking at how Mexico play, they have a real advantage with the altitude here and look to make the most of that by making the pitch wide and seeking out their striker through crosses from their fullbacks. 

Jimenez has found the target in all three of his matches at the World Cup and will offer a threat to England, particularly aerially as his direct opponents in Konsa and Guehi may be a bit vulnerable to those crosses from Mexico’s fullbacks as they aren’t as dominant in the air as someone like Jimenez.

The market really isn’t sure about England’s chances in this game, their lines on quite a few angles have been lowered compared to their other matches - mainly due to the altitude and intense atmosphere of the Azteca.

I do think this has been overplayed quite a bit. It’s definitely a factor, but you can’t talk about the conditions without looking at the individual quality that will take to the field. Player for player, England are a much better side than Mexico and Thomas Tuchel’s side can produce those individual moments of brilliance as a result. 

England have registered 5+ corners in all four of their World Cup matches, they rely on these situations quite a bit which isn’t that surprising as Tuchel mentioned multiple times in the build up to the tournament that he wanted to assemble a side that mirrored the style of the Premier League. 

Mexico are conceding 4.00 corners per game at the World Cup and I think they will also fall victim to a high corner count from the Three Lions, which England have shown no reason why they would not cover other than being heavily impacted by the conditions - a factor that I think has now been completely overexaggerated.

Raul Rangel is one of only two keepers who are yet to concede at the World Cup and have a 100% save percentage - the other being Spain’s Unai Simon.

Mexico’s defensive organisation has been impressive at times, though Rangel has been there when they’ve needed him. He’s made six saves across his four starts (1.55 per 90), though England can definitely test him more regularly as the best side that Mexico have had to take on so far.

England have been creating quite a lot of chances, no side has missed more big opportunities than the Three Lions (15), which may sound like a negative stat on paper but it shows that Tuchel’s side are getting in positions to hurt the opposition.

England are averaging 6.80 shots on target per game at the World Cup and have drawn 2+ saves from the opposition keeper in all four of their World Cup assignments to date.

Marc Guehi has been fouled in each of his three starts at the World Cup so far, drawing 2+ fouls in two of these games - including winning seven (!) fouls against Ghana.

It’s clearly a strong part of Guehi’s game and he’s got the ideal opponent to be fouled at least once again here. Guehi will line up against Raul Jimenez, who can be overly aggressive which his challenges and has committed four fouls across his three starts so far (1.57 per 90).

Mexico like going long into Jimenez, so we can expect the now Wolves striker to have quite a few battles with the likes of Konsa and Guehi and there should be a few occasions where he oversteps the mark and brings Guehi to the ground.

Guehi averaged 1.09 fouls won per 90 during the most recent Premier League campaign, so it’s clearly an area where he excels and he has a promising direct opponent here to win at least one foul again.

This matchup between Brazil and Norway looks like one of the more enticing round of 16 matchups, and it’s the South American side who come in as favourites.

However, Norway are not a side to underestimate here. They beat a strong Ivory Coast side 2-1 in the previous round, after also winning 3-2 against Senegal in the group stages. Norway were beaten 4-1 by France, but it is worth noting that they opted for significant rotation. 

Erling Haaland did not feature at all in that match, but he is almost certain to play the full 90 against Brazil, barring any mitigating circumstances. Haaland has scored five goals at the World Cup so far - that includes a brace against both Senegal and Iraq in the group stages.

The Man City striker was the hero against Ivory Coast last time out, as it was his goal which turned out to be the winner. He has been in exceptional form at the World Cup, and will hope to extend his scoring streak against Brazil here.

Mexico made it four wins from four at the World Cup against Ecuador in the previous round, as they came away with a 2-0 win. They are yet to concede at the World Cup so far, but this matchup against England promises to be their toughest one yet.

The Three Lions secured the comeback against DR Congo in the Round of 32 to progress in the tournament, led by none other than Harry Kane. The England captain bagged his second brace of the World Cup so far, taking his tally to five goals. The 32-year-old has been able to carry his incredible domestic form forward to the World Cup - he scored 61 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich this season. 

England will carry a massive threat whenever Kane is on the field, but keeping this Mexico side at bay will prove to be a challenge, especially at the Azteca Stadium. This will be like a home game for Mexico, and the 2,200m altitude will give them the physical advantage as well

Konsa is averaging 2.0 fouls drawn per 90 at the World Cup so far, and he has landed this selection in three of his four starts. He has been adept at drawing contact at the back for England, which helps alleviate pressure.

Even domestically, Konsa had an average of 1.35 fouls drawn per 90 for Aston Villa during the 25/26 campaign, which is notably high for a centre back.

Mexico have committed 44 fouls at the World Cup so far, and Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez have accounted for nine of those. The Mexican attacking pair should find duels against Konsa here.

Brazil conceded first against Japan last time out and I think they could have been punished more by the Asian side if Japan had been a bit more bold in their attacking approach.

Norway will be able to offer that additional attacking threat having scored in all four of their matches, scoring 2+ goals in three of these games. 

The other aspect for Norway to worry about is the fact that all four of their games have seen BTTS, their own backline isn’t that strong and is likely to concede against Brazil’s talented frontline.

Brazil have shipped goals against both Japan and Morocco in their more challenging matches so far but also have scored in all four of their games, netting 2+ goals in three of these fixtures.

Antonio Nusa is such a talented player and needs to show the quality he displayed for Norway’s opener against Ivory Coast last time out more often. That goal was really impressive, but he needs to be more involved in the game outside of that moment. 

He’s got a real advantage here as he’ll be lining up against Danilo at right back for Brazil, a position that’s been a problem area for Ancelotti as Brazil don’t really have a quality player to play in that role - which is the most obvious weakness in the Brazil backline and overall setup. 

Nusa posted a promising shot volume during qualifying with 21 shots across his six starts (3.96 per 90), resulting in two goals. He does need to refine his accuracy to get the shot on target we require here, but I expect him to beat his man on a few occasions to give himself that opportunity.

Raul Jimenez scored a wonderful goal in Mexico’s Round of 32 clash with Ecuador to guarantee their spot in this stage of the tournament. He’s been effective when leading the line for his country, scoring two goals across his three starts from 10 shots (3.91 per 90).

He’s seen four of his efforts find the target (1.57 per 90) and has been using his head often with half of his total efforts so far being headed shots. This is not that surprising when looking at how Mexico play, they have a real advantage with the altitude here and look to make the most of that by making the pitch wide and seeking out their striker through crosses from their fullbacks. 

Jimenez has found the target in all three of his matches at the World Cup and will offer a threat to England, particularly aerially as his direct opponents in Konsa and Guehi may be a bit vulnerable to those crosses from Mexico’s fullbacks as they aren’t as dominant in the air as someone like Jimenez.

Marcus Rashford didn’t quite have the desired effect against DR Congo last time out, but something that did stand out was his willingness to track back and get stuck into his defensive duties. He recorded two fouls in the round of 32. Prior to that, Rashford also landed this selection against Panama with one foul, despite England dominating possession in that match. Despite only featuring from the bench against Ghana, Rashford managed two fouls in just a 10-minute cameo. The Man United man has raised his intensity at the World Cup, and his average of 2.56 fouls per 90 at this World Cup is one of the highest figures in the England squad. 

It’s a tough round of 16 draw for England against Mexico here, and Rashford will again be required to drop back at times to help his full back, which makes this price stand out.

Gabriel also had an average of 1.17 fouls drawn per 90 during Brazil's qualifying campaign, which is impressively high for a centre back, and it shows how he can be a frustrating opponent to face. Haaland will be directly up against him here, and he has already landed this selection in two of his three World Cup starts, recording two fouls against Iraq and two against Senegal during the group stages. 

When Gabriel and Haaland last met at club level, both players were booked for getting into an altercation. Prior to that, Gabriel committed two fouls to Haaland's one in an EFL Cup meeting, and Haaland committed three fouls to Gabriel's one in the fixture before that. 

There is definitely a rivalry between these two, who don’t usually shy away from a physical duel, so another battle is expected here.

Brazil have been drawn against Norway for this Round of 16 fixture, and it promises to be one of the most enticing matchups of the round of 16. The most notable battle on the pitch is Erling Haaland against Gabriel Magalhaes - two players who have a bit of history from their Premier League meetings between Arsenal and Manchester City.

Gabriel has committed just one foul across his four World Cup appearances so far, which came against Morocco in round one, but his average looks set to rise after this fixture against Norway. The 28-year-old had an average of 1.25 fouls per 90 during Brazil's qualifying campaign, which shows how he does have a combative edge, despite his numbers at the World Cup so far. 

The stakes are higher than ever here, with this being a knockout tie for his national side, which naturally makes fouls a target.

Jude Bellingham had two headed shots on target against DR Congo last time out and should be a target in the box for England again in this clash with his role of breaking into the penalty area when Harry Kane drops a bit deeper. 

Only Canada (148) have attempted more crosses than England (111) at the World Cup, so it’s clearly a key aspect of Tuchel’s game plan.

This is supported by the squad he picks and the system he plays, usually always operating with two wide players who hug the touchline.

Bellingham is one of the obvious candidates to benefit from these crosses, with England also winning the fourth most corners of any side at the World Cup (29 - 7.25 per game).

England have been creating plenty of these chances with three of their eight goals coming from headers so far. 

Bellingham has managed six shots on target across his four starts (1.72 per 90) with eight of his nine shots crucially coming from inside of the penalty area. 

This is a really appealing price for Declan Rice to set up a goal at the Azteca, mainly due to his role on set pieces and corners in particular for England.

Thomas Tuchel made it pretty obvious before the tournament started that he wanted to put together an England side that reflects the style and intensity of the Premier League - and I think he’s quite close to that, even if it isn’t a great watch.

Set pieces were a cornerstone of the most recent Premier League season, and England have possibly the best set piece taker across Europe in Declan Rice.

He’s already registered an assist at the World Cup, as well as creating 12 shots from his three starts (4.30 per 90). 

England are averaging 7.25 corners per game at the World Cup, registering 5+ corners in all four of their matches.

They also win fouls more often than any other side, drawing 64 across their four matches (16.0 per game) so Rice should have plenty of chances to register the assist we need from him. 

No Mexico player has created more shots than Roberto Alvarado at the World Cup so far (10 - 2.65 per 90).

He’s already registered three assists at the World Cup, which is a very solid record that’s only gone under the radar due to the impressive displays of Bruno Guimaraes (4 assists) and Michael Olise (5 assists).

Alvarado averaged 1.84 chances created per 90 during the most recent domestic season for Chivas and plays alongside some very high shot volume players which can aid his chances of setting up a few shots in this encounter. 

Raul Jimenez (3.91 shots per 90) and Julian Quinones (2.97 shots per 90) won’t be afraid to pull the trigger, giving Mexico’s main creative outlet a good chance of setting up at least two shots here.