In a breathless World Cup Round of 16 encounter at the iconic Estadio Azteca, ten-man England held on to defeat co-hosts Mexico 3-2. The victory books Thomas Tuchel's side a spot in the quarter-finals, where they are scheduled to face Norway. The match, which was delayed by an hour due to severe weather conditions in Mexico City, certainly lived up to the pre-match drama that saw local fans attempting to disrupt the English team's sleep with fireworks outside their hotel.
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Subscribe Sekarang →The game exploded into life late in the first half when Jude Bellingham scored a stunning quick-fire double within 90 seconds. His first came from a Bukayo Saka cross following a swift counter-attack initiated by Declan Rice, and he quickly added a second from close range after Harry Kane intercepted the restart. According to editorial monitoring, Mexico responded almost immediately through Julián Quiñones, who fired a powerful half-volley past Jordan Pickford from a free-kick scramble, leaving the score at 2-1 at the interval.
The second half took a dramatic turn in the 54th minute when English defender Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card for an uncontrolled tackle on an opponent's tibia. Forced to adapt, Tuchel substituted Bukayo Saka for John Stones to shore up the defense. Despite the numerical disadvantage, England extended their lead in the 60th minute when Harry Kane converted a powerful penalty after Anthony Gordon was brought down by Mexican goalkeeper José Rangel.
The drama intensified as referee Alireza Faghani awarded Mexico a penalty in the 69th minute for a high foot by Kane on Érick Gutiérrez. Raúl Jiménez calmly converted from the spot to bring "El Tri" within one goal. Based on match statistics, Mexico launched an all-out assault in the closing stages, putting heavy pressure on Jordan Pickford, who made spectacular saves to deny powerful headers from Jiménez and keep England's World Cup dreams alive.
From editorial observations, Thomas Tuchel efficiently closed the shop in the final minutes by introducing fresh defensive options, including Djed Spence and Dan Burn. Despite intense pressure from more than 80,000 passionate fans in the stadium, the resilient English side held firm. "At the end of the suffering, England triumphs over Mexico," noted the RMC Sport editorial staff, confirming that England has finally overcome their historic Estadio Azteca hoodoo dating back to 1986.