There is a trend in these 16ths that has already been seen in most matchups: if you don't suffer, it doesn't count. So far, five out of seven matches in the first knockout stage had been decided in the final minutes or by penalties, and now one more duel has been added to the list. England started losing in the first half against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and had to wait until the final moments of the match to turn it around and win 2-1.
The match would begin with almost pure and exclusive presence from the English, however, it would matter little to the Africans, who would quickly find themselves unexpectedly in the lead. In the 6th minute, Chancel Mbemba would cross into the area looking for the head of Noah Sadiki, but the ball would go long to a Brian Cipenga completely alone who would finish at the near post of Jordan Pickford to make it 1-0.
In the following minutes, the Europeans would continue to be superior, although they would not manage to be dangerous until the 28th minute, when Declan Rice would deliver a precise cross for Jude Bellingham's head, which would be brilliantly saved by Lionel Mpasi.
A little later, in the 34th, the Three Lions would come close to scoring their first with a shot from Marcus Rashford near the small area that miraculously Aaron Wan-Bissaka would clear off the line.
Despite their dominance, Thomas Tuchel's team would almost suffer another goal from their rival. In the 43rd minute, Nathanael Mbuku would cross for Yoane Wissa, whose attempt would hit the right post of Pickford before going out of play.
At the end of the first half, after being on the verge of committing a penalty against Harry Kane, Mpasi would save his team twice more in stoppage time with excellent saves: first in the 46th with a header from Bellingham in the center of the area and then in the 51st with a close-range shot from Kane himself.
In the second half, England would have two clear chances to equalize: a shot from Rashford that would go just wide of the net that doesn't count in the 51st and a minute later a deflected shot from Bellingham that would be neutralized by the standout player of the match, Lionel Mpasi, although in the second he would have a bit of help from Mbemba on the line.
After so many attempts, the British would finally reach the long-awaited 1-1. After the second cooling break, substitute Anthony Gordon would flick a ball into the heart of the area that would find the head of Kane, who would manage to beat Mpasi.
Although they had been controlling the match for quite some time, the goal would give them a boost that would result in more promising chances and force the DRC to retreat ever closer to their own goal. That insistence would finally pay off in the last minutes: in the 85th, after a left-footed shot from Bellingham saved by Mpasi, the ball would fall to Gordon, who, after a bit of dribbling, would pass it to Kane, who would unleash a shot that was unstoppable for the Congolese goalkeeper to score his personal double and the final 2-1.
With this result, England advanced to the round of 16, where they will face Mexico next Sunday, July 5 at 21:00 (Argentina time) at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
